6.23.2014 Another year in the books

Dear Family,

A week in the mission is always filled with every kind of experience/emotions. I like to think that a years worth of ups and downs and all jammed into a week or even a day:)(I'll start with the lows so we can end on a high:)) This week I think I experienced some of the harshest rejections that I've faced on my mission. We got the "normal" eyerolls/don't talk to me faces, but these two guys just might have been the best. 

Rejection #1 We started talking to this guy who was just sitting in his front yard and he asked us what we believe so of course we started talking a little bit about the restoration and prophets and it wasn't too long before he just flat out said we were wrong and that everything we told him were lies. 

Rejection #2 We crossed paths with this guy at an intersection and he turned back around to talk to us. First off, he introduced himself as Lucifer, crossed his arms and said, "ok, tell me something."...never a good sign, and when people are obviously not going to listen my brain turns off, and I feel completely lost. We tried to get to know him, and tell him a little bit about the restoration, and he pretty much just told us we were young and didn't know anything and he knew the scriptures better than us, then to top it all off his departing words were "You didn't do anything for me." Ok, normally that wouldn't bother me but this week I just happened to have taped a piece of paper on my preach my gospel that says "What have you done for them?" Yep, so that one stabbed me in the heart for a little bit, but all is good. One day his heart will be softened:)

Rejection is pretty normal, if it wasn't We would be having baptisms every week, but I thought I would just share a few of the experiences this week:) 

Ok, now for the happy stuff!)

1. Hermano Flores considers himself active now:) Next step...the temple!:)

2. After an LA English Meeting(I'm the unit leader) I was just super determined and impressed to go to the Alvarenga's house and set goals and make plans to help them get married and help Maria have a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon and the power in the Atonement. Long story short they have already made some big steps to getting married, and Hector gave us her coffee, and began praying about being baptized:) Of course, with progression comes lots of pressure from the adversary, but we are determined to fight for them:)

3. A potential called us about church!(yeah, that never happens!)

4. Went to the temple and it was glorious:) I am so incredibly grateful that I have the opportunity to be reminded of God's plan for me and my family, and to always keep an eternal perspective:)

5. We went to dinner with our ward mission leader and we had the opportunity to share the gospel with a few people while we were there and a some point this homeless guy came in and started asking people for money so he could be some food. One of the cookers came out and tried to get him to leave, but Hno. Garcia just took him buy the elbow up to the front desk and told him to order what he wanted and that he would pay. I am so grateful for the example he was to all the people that were there some day. Find someone to serve today!:)

6. A hot day on the bikes, and this guy gave us 2 water bottles, then one of our investigators gave us some yogurt and a pear:) #foodmiracles

7. My birthday wish came true:)(it was to have someone accept a baptismal invitation) We have begun teaching this guy Jaime who doesn't really know all the much, but he was a referral from an ex-girlfriend in Mexico. He's in his upper 40's and divorced, and we are pretty much teaching him from the ground up which is super fun:)

All throughout the day I kept forgetting about my birthday until someone would remind me. We had a lesson with Jose at the Reyna's and it was time to head back in for the night, but as we were leaving they pulled out a cake and sang to me:) (sorry, you'll have to wait a while for some pictures) Then as we were planning our ward mission leader called and told us he had something for us. He had bought me some chessecake. Yum!

Pretty much if I could some everything in a sentence it would be...I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I would not trade being here for anything else in the world. I am so grateful to be here and to be serving my Savior. I have learned so much about myself, the gospel, and God's love for all of us.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Ford 

6.16.2014 Happy Father's Day!!

Dear Family,

Another week 1 of another transfer down. Time is going by way to quickly!
It feels like almost second nature now just to be in charge and to know everyone now that this is my 4th companion in the area. Sometimes I have to stop and try and remember what it's like to not know everyone or where everything is at. I am so grateful to be in this ward. By the end of the transfer I will have spent half of my mission in this area. I have learned quite a few things, but one thing that always makes me laugh is that I have been in more wards(6) in college than I have been on my mission(3) and I think I have been the happiest here because I know what I'm doing so I think I my have to stay in a ward for more than a semester when I go back to school if I really want to love where I'm at:)
If I had to describe this transfer so far in one word it would be running. We have just been running from appointment to appointment yet trying to figure out how to use less miles haha:)
There is so much work to be done here and the Lord is truly blessing us with great people to work with! 
This week we were blessed with free churros!! woohoo the best:)
We went to go contact a super vague(we only got the cross streets with the description of they drove a white van) from a member so we decided to go check it out and see how "lucky" we were. Well before leaving the car I remember specifically praying to be guided by the spirit that we could find Adilyn(the referral) or whoever else God wanted us to find. Well, the first door we knocked on it wasn't her, but it was this girl Stefany who opened the door that was just visiting her friend's house! We started talking with her and by the end we were able to set up a return appointment and as we were leaving she mentioned that her younger sister had looked into the mormon church a little while ago and would be in town that week and would invite her to the lesson! Pretty cool experience because we have really been focusing on really harnessing Elder Ballard's promise and exhortation to draw down the powers of heaven in our work.
The ward had a Father's Day activity at the park on Saturday that we went to for a little bit which was super fun. It was really weird to be at a park. 

Rough...my computer just froze for like 10 minutes...:(

I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Nat, great work on the letters! haha:)

Love,
Hermana Ford

6.9.2014 Transfer #6:)!!

Dear Family,

Realization of the week. It's important to be patient to wait until other people are ready to talk. Props to you mom because you are a pro at that and never forced me to talk....but I think I have improved a lot since I was little about opening up to people. Thank you so much for waiting so long for me to come around:)

Jose is doing super well and just wants to absorb everything! He is already in Mosiah! I'm sure tonight he will tell us he's in Alma, and he's memorized the order of the books and always has all these funny little questions:) He was suppose to get the priesthood this week and get his recommendation to go to the temple with the ward this week, but he got sick and wasn't able to come to church. A little frustrating, but patience is my best friend:)

At zone training meeting we talked more about a few things that Elder Ballard talked about making spiritual connections and committing to our investigators as we give them commitments. Pretty much my go to phrase that we all got from it was "teach from the heart and by the spirit". As I have pondered and really let that phrase sink into me it has made all the difference. I have let the truths of the gospel sink deeper down into my heart and I have felt the power of it as I teach people about the restoration of the gospel. I have felt the spirit work on my and the people around me and my love for everything has increased even more. I have no doubt that trainings and visits from apostles and the things they say give me the direction that I need and that moment. It would not have had the same impact if it had come earlier or later. Our Heavenly Father knows us all too perfectly:)

Crazy experience for the week:

We were kicked off of someone's property....oops. I promise we weren't doing anything wrong, and got as far as way as we could...Don't mess with angry catholics. We had slowly moved to the sidewalk with the guy(the husband and friend) because we could tell they were getting super angry, but they just stood there and yelled, "get off! 45 feet away!!!" I felt super bad, but sad that they were so upset with us.

I don't know if I've ever explained this but at the end of every transfer there is what is called a Departing Missionary Fireside where all the missionaries who are leaving have the opportunity to invite everyone from past areas to come and see them one last time and they get to bear their testimonies, and then us remaining missionaries can go if we take an investigator. Well, Sister Howell is leaving so I obviously had to go! One of the best blessings about that little event is I get to see some of the members! I saw Hno. and Hna. Flores(4th ward who came back when SIster Howell and I were there) and it was soooooo great seeing them! Hna. started to cry and when she hugged me one of the first things she said was "me salvo". No obviously, I know we did absolutely nothing. The Lord put us in their lives at the right time, and the spirit softened her hear, but I love the fact that I will always be a special part in someone's life. Then I saw Cynthia and Elvis!(also from 4th ward) Cynthia's baby(she had her when I was there) is so big! She can stand and laughs, oh my goodness it is so adorable!!!! And Cyrhtnia told me they were engaged and are planning to get married in September and then in a year get married in the temple!!!!(I taught Elvis a few times and then was transferred). OH my goodness I just filled with so much joy last night. Other than you(my family) I have never felt like I have really belonged as much as I do in the mission with my companions, with the members, and even the streets:) At the end of this transfer pretty much all my companions will be leaving, so it will be another joyous reunion:)

Hard experience of the week:

Saturday morning we ran to the library to print off our lessons for English class that afternoon and this guy in a wheelchair approached us. He told us he had been seeing missionaries everywhere lately and it was such a miracle that we were there at the same time! First thoughts were obviously, "cool, he's a non-member and has had a change of heart and is ready to get baptized!". Well, turned out he was a member and is money had run out and needed money for his hotel that night because his sister wasn't going to be able to come and help him out till the next day and he needed help paying for the motel that night, and asked us if we could call our bishop and help him out. First of all he was American so it wasn't in our boundaries and second I had no clue what is allowed and not allowed with financial stuff, and because my comp really had no idea what was going on I had to figure out what I could do. I asked our district leader but he said it was up to us if we wanted to involve ourselves or not. I tried a few times to say " oh we can't really involve ourselves with financial stuff or whatever" but the look on his face was so hopeful and every time I tried to say no or something the apostles words just kept popping up in my head "if you need help with......ASK THE MISSIONARIES!" and if I let him go no one else would help and missionaries really are the last chance and hope in some people's eyes. So I kept making calls to our bishop then the English wards bishop and he was out of town and couldn't really do anything that quick, but he would be more than happy for him to show up to church and help him out.(something I had offered earlier but he was so desperate and I'm just like you dad and hate to tell people no). We were already running super late, and I felt like we had done what we could do and so I made the decision that we had to go and didn't no what else we could do and the bishop just said he could come to church tomorrow. Seriously, if you had seen the poor man's face. Pure loss of hope in the missionaries, church, and God. I honestly don't think he went to church:( We asked if we could say a prayer with him or read a scripture with him because he had his bible on him, but he put his head down, full of tears, and wheeled away ready to knock doors. Honestly, I felt so awful like there was something more I could do like give him the cash I had but I hadn't thought about that earlier, so I looked in the white handbook because I recalled a rule that we couldn't lend money so I looked it up just I could feel at peace that I had done what I could. Tender mercy: the next morning in ward correlation Obispo Flores talked about "caring for the poor and needy". I know it wasn't just because of our experience, but it was such a tender mercy to me that he would give that training the day after. Sometimes the best thing we can do is say no....

As for the work. It's going well. Lots of work to be done, and there is lots of hope for a baptism or 2 in the next few months.

These past few weeks have been super cool because I have come to understand a few more things from my patriarchal blessing. I don't think I have received as much revelation as I have on my mission from it.

I hope you are all doing well and enjoy your last week of school! Woohoo!:) Nat, congratulations!!!:)

I love you all, and pray for you often.

Love,

Hermana Ford

6.2.2014

Dear Family,

This week was pretty awesome and so filled with the spirit! Yesterday President Weidman set up a little conference with Elder Ballard, Elder Schweitzer, and Elder Acosta(our area 70). I remember thinking before shaking Elder Ballard's hand just trying to muster up as must of my faith as I could and love for the Savior so he could know that I support him and love the Savior and have no doubts about this gospel, and then when he got up to talk one of the very first things he said was that he could feel our love for the Savior. I'm not even trying to exaggerate that he said exactly what I was thinking. It was kind of a shock because his hand's just immediately made me think of Grandpa and I was trying so hard to hold back the tears! At Jose's baptism Obispo Flores told him that the gospel makes us crybabies(because so many people were crying) and I've decided to change it to "the mission makes us crybabies". (Brooke, you would be so proud!:)) The spirit was so strong! I can't even explain it...hhmmmm try your most spiritual experience in the temple times 2:) The church is so church because there is no way that a room full 300 missionaries can receive all the answers to their questions from the same talks! We are really struggling getting people to church and I got some good ideas and they gave me a different perspective for attending church. Elder Acosta talked a little about how Once they have enough faith to attend church they are ready to make and keep other commitments and I had never really looked at attending church as having faith, but the more I think about it it is so true! One thing(out of all the great things he talked about) was calling down the powers of heaven in this work. For all missionaries that's not an uncommon phrase because Elder Ballard talks a little bit about that in one of the Preach My Gospel videos, but it reminded my that I need more faith. When I wake up in the morning I need to expect that I am going to find someone and that the spirit will touch whoever we are teaching. That we will find, teach, and baptize. I should wake up filled with faith and love for the Savior! 

 Within 3 minutes of him leaving as we were just writing down our impressions an Elder had a seizure. I've never been around someone having a seizure so it was just a big shock for a lot of us because it was so quiet in the chapel and the spirit was still just so strong, but it was a really cool experience because you could tell that we all just turned back and started praying really hard. It didn't last super long and it was a blessing because the mission nurse was there as well as one of the stake presidents who is a physician. It was just a very surreal experience. The power of prayer is real. 

Jose is getting the aaronic priesthood this next week at church!

Thanks for the letter Julia and Natalie!

I hope you all have a great week and know that I love you lots!

Love,

Hermana Ford

.....next week I will write more 5.26.2014

Dear Family,

Ok, this email is going to be extremely short. I am a huge fan of public libraries....except when they're closed on Mondays:)

This week was a little trying, but this is still the Lord's work and I love sharing his gospel so I can't really complain...no matter how times a lesson falls through and people try and teach us and tell us we're wrong:)

This week Elder Ballard is coming! I am really excited to see what he has in store for us, and am so grateful yet another opportunity to learn from a general authority. 

Everyone in the ward keeps joking that I should just move my records to the Bell Gardens ward:)

Sorry this is really all over the place. I feel like I don't have enough time to give a lot of details of anything.

I guess I just want to tell you all that I know that this gospel is true. Christ is the only person in whom we can find relief from in our trials, and it is only through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can truly find peace and happiness. If we want to see real changes in our lives we have to turn to the Lord and lose ourselves in the work of Salvation. We are changed through obedience to the Lord, and it is through that obedience that we can become like him. If you ever get the chance read The 4th missionary by....ooh I forgot who but it's super good! Every now and then I read it and even though you aren't missionaries I know you all can find some way to apply it and learn from it:)

I hope you are all doing well and when you feel weighted down turn to the simple and pure truths of the gospel. They have brought me so much happiness!

I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Ford

5.19.2014

Dear Family,

Starting letters is always the hardest part....

This week has been....emotional, but full of joy and happiness. God is blessing this area so much, and I am so grateful for the miracles/blessing we have seen because it has helped me to be able to throw myself into the work, and see the rewards. 

A few of the blessings of the week:

1. Jose didn't come to church because his family is having a hard time back in El Salvador, but he is so in-tune to the spirit that he feels bad and is determined to live the things he has learned. I am so grateful for the spirit and it's ability to move people to action.

2. Getting a blessing from president. Every time I think about President Weidman and his wife I am just filled with so much gratitude. They are exactly the type of people that I need on my mission to feel comforted, loved, and pushed to have deeper faith and higher expectations.

3. Meeting Alex(a referral). We contacted him last night, but he was busy at our set appointment which was a little bit of a disappoint because I thought he was just trying hide from meeting with us, but he said we could come back later that night at he is so great! He told us he felt the need to be connected to God, and was willing to do anything to be apart of this church and put in his part with what he us as missionaries want for him! Complete joy! The whole way home and well into nightly planning I was just laughing out of complete disbelief that God has blessed us and this area with such a prepared family!

4. Contacting 20 people a day almost everyday this week, and feeling/seeing the impact it is making on myself as a missionary/disciple and the area! I feel like my purpose is truly being written on my heart! Hard work has never been so satisfying! (I don't know why this came to my mind, but I prefer this work a lot more that using a pick to dig ditches for a sprinkle system....you can all watch that video to put a smile on your face, and I know you all know what video I'm talking about:))

5. Free raspados and pupusas

6. Setting a baptismal date with 17 year old girl names Genesis.

7. 510 out of the 490 conversations we are suppose to get for our district this week! Such a miracle! The ward/stake goals that have been set for our areas that use to seem so high and impossible are getting closer and closer within reach, and we are meeting the goals in a few of the areas! 

8. The Bell Gardens ward. The wards I have served in have truly become my homes.

9. The Scriptures, Prayer, talks by Apostles

I love being a missionary! I love being a representative of Christ and having the opportunity to proclaim the good news of the gospel and be so involved in watching the Spirit changing peoples lives. It is such an incredible thing to be apart of. 

I love you all SO much!

Love,

Hermana Ford

5.12.2014 My Grandparents passed away 5 days apart

Dear Family,

I pray for you all daily and especially at this time you feel comforted by the truths of the gospel, and know that I am being taken care of here. I would be lying if I didn't say it's hard. I wish I was there to cry with all of you and remember all the good memories, but I know I need to be here. I know there is something for me to be learned being here and not at home. I know there are more lives to be touched by the light of the gospel and more miracles for me to be a witness of. 

As I have been studying the plan of salvation this week to teach to others the same verses I have read over and over throughout my mission have come to have so much more meaning to .

Alma 40:12,23 and D&C 138:11-60

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.23 The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.

I hope you all can take some time this week and study these two chapters. They have brought so much hope and comfort to me because I know they are true. I know without a doubt that Grandpa and Grandma are happy and are at peace. 

The work of the Lord continues to amaze me. No matter what trials we are going through the work goes on. There are people that have been placed in my path to remind me the joy of being a missionary and that there are miracles around every corner:) Just last night we met a woman named Louisa that told us she was Catholic, but felt like there was more and wanted to learn more about the church. Then today while we were at the grocery store for the second time(long story short my debit card info for the mission got stolen somehow, and we were at the store trying to get all the money left on the card) and a boy that worked at the store a few weeks ago asked for the information for the church, and he stopped us in the parking lot and told he lost the card with all the info of the church and our number, so he wanted to give us his number! Such a tender mercy because I had just figured he didn't really care, but turns out he did!:) woohoo!

Jose was confirmed this week! I have absolutely loved "teaching him" aka watched the spirit change him(because really I feel like we didn't do anything)! He was so funny because he was so nervous all meeting, and he is so excited to learn more and go to the temple! Small little blessing: Jose's phone broke Monday(typical) so we hadn't gotten a hold of him so we started to worry because no one likes to leave a recently baptized person alone for Satan to bring bad thoughts and tempt them. Anyways, we were driving down the road with a member coming back from a lesson and we saw Jose riding his bike down the road near an intersection where we were able to pull off to the side! It was perfect timing and such a miracle that we were able to see him!

We also had zone conference this week, and everything that they talked about was exactly what I needed to hear, and gave me the direction I needed to know how I can improve the missionary work here in Bell Gardens. They weren't any training that I hadn't heard before, but the gospel is a gospel of repetition:) We hear things over and over again because as we grow the same lesson means different things, and through that we grow and new light on simple doctrines are shown. 

I was so fun seeing all your faces for a few seconds! I love you all and I am so grateful for all your prayers. They have brought so much comfort to me:) 

The gospel is true! I know our Savior loves each and every one of us, and the He is aware of all things because he has felt it all(Alma 7:11-13)

Love,

Hermana Ford

sorry it was such a short email this week. I had a hard time thinking of things to write....

May 5, 2014

Dear Family,

Well, I think I'm pretty positive that I may have accidentally thrown away my camara card....oops, but no worries I've been on the lookout for something that I can just put the sd card/usb thing....

This week has just been full of miracles/blessings! 
#1- On the SAME day as Jose's interview for his baptism his boss called his and told him that he didn't have to work on Saturday or Sunday's anymore!
#2- We had a lot of new students at English class
#3- We invited this woman to be baptized during a tour of the church building her first day at English class!
#4-Jose was baptized exactly 1 month and a day after he accepted the invitation to be baptized
#5-Everyone in the bishopric came to the baptism plus a bunch of people from the ward came to the baptism to support him.
#6-new clothes....:) Thanks mom!
#7- finding new people to teach

Ok, but really this list could go on and on, but I'll stop with those ones:)

I think I have said this before, but whenever we teach Jose I just want to start laughing from joy and unbelief. I feel so blessed to have been able to be such a personal part of his conversion. Sure, I feel like I absolutely did nothing to because it really was all the Spirit and the support of the members. 
As we were waiting for the baptismal service to start I was playing the piano and I just looked up to see how Jose was doing, and he just looked up with red eyes full of tears. I can't even imagine how he felt at that moment, but I was just filled with God's love and happiness as I thought about this huge step that he was about to take and not only his sacrifices that he had made to get to this point, but the sacrifice that Christ had made so that he could washed clean of his sins. It is such a satisfying feeling to know that we helped bring someone into the ward that is going to make the ward stronger and someone that the Bishop would be able to count on. I am SO excited to have the opportunity to help him receive the priesthood and eventually go to the temple. Also, I don't know this always pops in my head when I see him now, but he is almost exactly the same age as you dad! 
Sister Mocellin and I are doing really well. She's teaching me how to read in french. Last night as she was helping me pronounce things after planning she said I was a miracle because I could pronounce the r's better than some missionaries who had been serving in France for 9 months. Not sure if I believe her, but it makes me feel good, so I'll just keep believing her and feel silly when I repeat words:) haha
Also, Happy Mother's day! Thank you so much for all your love, patience, and amazing example to me! 
I'll talk to all of you soon!:)
The gospel is so incredible. God is good always:)
I love you lots!
Love,
Hermana Ford

April 28, 2014

Dear Family,

Well, another transfer has come and gone. I'm staying in Bell Gardens! Last night before we had received transfer calls began to take some of my decorations down. I'm a little surprised that I am actually staying because I didn't want to leave, but I was so excited to hear that I am staying! I really feel like there is something I need to do this transfer with Sister Mocellin. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I feel like it is really important and I am so grateful that God is giving me a little more time in this ward to serve. 

This week was really good! I can't remember if I had told you this last week but we got permission for Jose to be baptized on the 27th even though he had only been to church twice, so we have been going crazy trying to finish and get everything ready, but in the end he had to work:( This whole month we have been praying as a mission to have 48 baptisms which would be a record for what we usually average and we got 47. It's only a little too obvious that Jose would have been the 48th baptism, but it's ok. We did what we could and then more. This week we went to the Visitor's Center and it was such a great experience. It was so great because he just kept looking at the temple until it was completely out of sight. We just keep praying to he will be able to get work on Sunday completely off. 

This past week we had a 12 month training...a little late, but it was still good:) I don't have a lot of time, so this is just what I sent president about it.

The 12 month training was so helpful for me! I have been so worried about going back to college and just feeling sick to my stomach about having to socialize with new people again, but as you talked about babylonian trinkets and that we won't be going home I began to think about if I was holding on to anything. I didn't think I was holding on to anything, but I realized that worrying about the future was my "babylonian trinket" and that I wouldn't be able to reach my potential as I continued to worry about that because it won't be the same. College won't be the same because I won't be the same and I don't want it to be the same. Once I decided that I have felt so good and if the future comes to my mind I don't feel sick at all. Even though it has only been a week I have seen the difference it has made and i'm excited to just focus and work hard!

 

This is a little miracle....this is what I sent to Sister Shepherd.

"Hna Rojas hasn't been to the temple for one reason or another even though she and her husband took the classes before I even came to the area. 2 weeks ago at dinner we talked about praying to know whether she and her husband should go through the temple. She agreed because that's what the elders told them about getting baptized. She said she knew she needed to and that she would start praying about it. Well, this past week we were eating with her and she told me that you had written a blog post about...well everything. She began to tell us a few things that really touched her and especially about your experience about praying to know whether you should be here or it was time to go home. She was so touched by that experience and she went on to tell us that she knew she needed to go and would be going through the temple before her and Giovanni leave to visit mexico in August! Seriously Sister! It is such a miracle and you played in extremely big part in Hna Rojas finally deciding that she truly needed to go to the temple!"

Other than that things are going really well. There is so much work to be done! Oh really quick! So, since I have been with Sister Mocellin I have just been losing my mind while driving because my mind is always thinking about other things. I kept forgetting to turn on certain roads, even going to the church! Well on the way to a service project while getting gas I kinda ran into a curb....in the middle of the parking lot. I know! I pretty much feel awful about it. Well, Saturday after english class I decided to get a blessing so I could not feel so overwhelmed with everything and I could focus on what needs to be done. Well, I'm happy to tell you I can focus while I'm driving. I'm not sure why I shared that with you becuase it was so dumb that I ran into that curb, but it was a little tender mercy nevertheless.

Love you lots!

Happy Easter April 21,2014

Dear Family,

This week has been so good! I wish I could give you so much more detail of everyday, but that would take forever. 

Tuesday we went to the temple, and it was amazing. Probably one of my favorite times I have gone. I just had such an overwhelming feeling with just having listened to General Conference and then going to temple that I just want to be a better disciple! It has just been an extremely busy and enriching week.

Ok, so Jose is one of the most amazing people ever! I don't know if this is very silly or not, but every now and then throughout my whole mission I would pray that I could be apart of the entire process of someone's conversion from being found, taught, and being baptized, this week we have been extremely busy trying to finish all the lessons so Jose could be baptized this Sunday. He is honestly the most prepared person I have met. The first time he came to English class he asked for a Book of Mormon and started studying it. This week we were teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to him and I was filled with SO much JOY! I had to have so much self control to not just burst out laughing  because I was so happy to watch Jose be so changed and really learn by the spirit as he has read the Book of Mormon. Then this Sunday was going to be his 2nd Sunday and then he was going to be baptized next week on his 3rd Sunday. (it's a requirement to attend at least 3 sacrament meetings). During my prayers Saturday night I decided that I wanted to fast the next day for him so he would be able to get work off on the 27th and be baptized. As church started he still wasn't at church so I just started praying as hard as I could because if he didn't show up in time for the sacrament it wouldn't count and his baptism would have to be pushed back. Long story short he didn't show up, and needless to say I was super disappointed because the 27th is the Sunday of the transfer and I've never stayed in an area for more than 6 months. Turns out that he showed up to church at 9:10 and the doors were locked, so he just went home. We went home to do personal study and I was reading in 3 Nephi 18, and this is the chapter where they talk about not casting people out of the sinagogas and I thought to myself, "aahhh that's what happened to Jose! We locked him out of sacrament meeting and now he can't get baptizednext sunday!". I continued to read and in verse 32 it says to not cast people out, and continue ministering unto them because they might return and repent and come unto him with full purpose of heart.(loose translation). So I just thought to myself, "ok, it's ok. He still can get baptized and if I get transferred and I'm not there physically there to watch him be baptized it will be ok. He is still determined to become a part of this church" As I was thinking throughout the day about fasting for Jose to be able to be baptized on the 27th I thought that I wasn't fasting so that he would make his baptismal date, but that when he didn't show up to church I would be ok and would be able to remember to have an eternal perspective and that if I get transferred next week it won't be the end of the world:) Later on Sunday we went to a baptism with him, so he could be a little more prepared for his. We could just see it in his face how let down he felt because he knew he couldn't miss church if he wanted to make his baptismal date, but we were talking before the service started and we began talking about how this was just a little set back and he told me that it was ok and that this might just be a part of God's plan and we talked about having an eternal perspective and that this is only the beginning. Seriously, he is so amazing! I had to translate for the service because it was in English. It was a little bit easier translating this go around, but I can definitely tell that I'm serving in America and not immersed in the language, but I can't complain, because he understood:) 

Jose is pretty much the the note worthy stuff that is going on. We have a bunch of new investigators that are in the beginning stages which is always fun, the less actives that we have been working with have been coming to church and progressing spiritually and Sister Mocellin is getting better at shopping in a mexican grocery store in America:)

Exciting news! Elder Ballard is coming to our mission June 1st! I think I'll consider that as my birthday present:) I think this is like the 3rd general authority that has come to our mission. I feel like we have been so lucky! I'm excited to go and receive a little extra help and revelation for being able to help our investigators better. 

As far as I go I'm doing great! I'm loving live and just drinking in the scriptures as much as I can! 

I hope you are all doing great and the summer comes to you all soon:)

Love, Hermana Ford

Holy Week April 14. 2014

Dear Family,

Welp, I think my french is improving. I learned how to count to 15 yesterday and how to introduce myself, but I stopped because I think I was getting close to losing my voice from trying to pronounce the r's, but I am determined to learn something. I think it is helping my comp not to feel as dumb when I have to tell her how to pronounce a word 4-5 times the correct way in English. Seriously, I've never thought so much about english and I think I have to agree that it's the worst haha:) I think I have finally found a way to make my comp laugh...like a true laugh not a I'm trying to enjoy myself laugh:) I am definitely ok with trying making myself look silly by trying to pronounce words in order to help her not feel so frustrated with her language skills which I have to say are improving so quickly!
It's funny to see that she struggles a lot with some of the things I struggled with at the beginning of my mission, and I have been able to share a few things that I have learned to give her a little hope and perspective even though she won't actually "learn" the lesson until she overcomes those barriers herself no matter how many times I tell her something. The other day we were talking about being ok with making mistakes and I just told her that we can't expect success without allowing ourselves to fall, and that was exactly what she had been trying to say but couldn't find the words:) 
Training is certainly a learning experience. It reminds me a lot when Julia moved into my room. I was so frustrated that I had to "relearn" things I had learned with Brooke, but I know there is so much value in "starting over". It truly gives me an opportunity to show myself that I really have changed in the past year, and to grow even more! 
We get to go to the temple tomorrow! Woohoo!:) I am so grateful that I have had so many opportunities to go to the temple! 
The work is progressing in the area. Jose is still planning on being baptized on the 27th and then we had another investigator come to church. He was super nervous because he didn't have any dress shoes, but every time I looked over to see how he was reacting to everything that was being said he was nodding his head up and down which is always such a big relief during church. During church we got up after the prayer to go sit with a woman that was sitting in the back row all by herself, and when the meeting was over I asked her what her name was and I found out it was a less-active that I didn't know and were going to meet that night! That was such a little tender mercy to me because number one she came to church and number 2 we met her all by pure "accident". I LOVE being a missionary!!!!!!
Happy Palm Sunday everyone!!!!! I have been thinking so much about this coming week and the great importance it is in our lives, and especially as a missionary. I had the opportunity to see where all of these events happened which helped me to know more about Holy Week, but I have grown in my understanding of this week, and as I have thought about the events that certain particular day and I go about and as I talk to people I think about how much they NEED the gospel in their lives. I'm excited to see how much more enriching this week will be as we focus on the life of our Savior. I know He truly lives. I know that it is through his grace, mercy, and love for us that we can change. We can become better. We can be cleansed. We can have joy. We can have Eternal Life and for that I am so grateful to have the knowledge and testimony that I have. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to go through this life with the fullness of His gospel. This is His work! We are all servants and here to do His work.
I love you all!

Love,
Hermana Ford

April 7, 2014

Dear Family,

Well, I officially speak spanglish, but my french is absolutely awful!:) haha

I absolutely love training! Weird to say? Perhaps, but I love the spirit that new missionaries bring, and it has given me a rejuvenated energy to wake up and start running until I get back in bed at night which makes me really happy! Sister Mocellin is so amazing! She is one of those missionaries where people on the street instantly feel comfortable, and she gives everything she has to every single conversation which I am so grateful for! Her strengths are definitely some of my weaknesses and my strengths are helping us to be a strong companionship...well are helping her not be so stressed in a new country and adjusting to missionary life. 

Funny stories of a french companion:

-we were eating at Ihop while we were waiting for our car to get fixed with the other sisters and Hna Mocellin asked what the bottles of liquid were for so we told her they were syrup and before we knew it after trying the strawberry syrup she starting pouring it into her water! Obviously we should have thought to tell her it was syrup for the pancakes and not the syrup that is for drinks, but she's a good sport:)

-I still can't say her name right.....I give up after a few tries whenever I say her name and we just laugh:)

-She unconsciously switches from spanish to english when we are speaking in spanish.

But really, she is such an amazing missionary, and it blows my mind! I just think throughout the day about how many lives she is going to change while she is out here. I am so amazing by her confidence and desire to work hard and learn as much as she can. 

Can I just say that I LOVE conference and the scriptures!!!!! We watched the sunday sessions in spanish which was fun. It was a little harder to pay attention and take notes at the same time, but it was cool to see how much I have improved. Sometime this past week I was reading in the New testament and I came across Titus 3 which I felt was something I felt like I could relate to. I haven't done everything perfectly(I not expected to either), but it was such a little blessing to me to be reminded of how the Atonement covers for my weaknesses and that I have felt the love of God so much as I have repented and made commitments to do our best. Just like Alma, I have realized that sometimes we comprehend the power of God's love and the atonement more when we humble ourselves and repent no matter what degree of repentance it is.

Everyone! I want to hear what your favorite talk or message you heard was! Also, when you get a copy can you please send me the conference ensign!:) I finished reading the last conference ensign the day before this one started and it was such an enriching experience to study them:)

I have so much to tell you, but I am kinda low on time this week, but I love you all!

Hermana Ford

The Craziest Week of My Life March 31, 2014

Dear Family,

Sometimes, I feel like the most noteworthy things that happen during the week that I would want to tell you always happen on Monday....after I have already emailed you. So, the last thing I think I told you about Sister Shepherd was last Saturday she was super pumped about realizing that she truly wanted to be out here. Well, Monday afternoon she just started feeling bad again and after a little bit I left her in our room to pray and ask whether she was suppose to be out here or whether it was God's will that she should go home(we have never really talked about the option of going home because we just focused on doing the best she could and try and get better while still dealing with all the work). After a while she came out of the room and we just hugged each other for the longest time, and she looked at me and said, "I think I need to go home." so we just sat there crying for the longest time. The difference between the way she "felt" before and after she prayed was a complete 180. There is no way either of us could deny the peace she felt about receiving the answer that she did good her and that she needed to go home. Her peace and the burden that was lifted off of her was SO tangible!

 It's funny that last week I said that if she went home I would be lying if I didn't feel responsible if she went home, but I kept thinking after I sent you all that and in my heart I knew that was a lie. I did everything that I could and that God wanted me to do, and I don't regret anything I did to help her, and I don't think I could have done anymore. Those 7 1/2 weeks were one of the most spiritually enriching and growing time I feel like I have had on my mission. So Friday night we took her up to the mission office and she was home by Saturday afternoon. So right now I'm with Sister Young and Sister Jarmon in the same ward so we are covering their's and my area till Wednesday and then a new missionary from France is coming in that I will be training. On the way back leaving the mission office after dropping off Sister Shepherd I was just thinking how much God has been answering my prayers lately. Before Sister Shepherd and I became companions I had just been praying for someone that I could be a mother to and just serve so much! I don't know why I started to have the urge to just take care of someone but God prepared my heart to love her from the first day and he could not have answered that prayer anymore perfectly. And then the past few transfers I have been praying to be more diligent and just be a harder worker like I felt like I was at the beginning of the mission, and even though my work ethic shouldn't depend on the people around me they do:) And what do I get!? I become a trainer! I am super freaked out, but I can't complain because training is the perfect test and opportunity to be exactly obedient and just get rid of all those little things that I know I can improve on. I was super tired emotionally, so I was a little worried about having the energy and enthusiasm to train, but Sister Young is an endless put of energy and enthusiasm:) We have been joking about being companions since the MTC, but now that we are we know President Weidman would never put us together. We would have way too much fun:) Even though I'm with people I love right now I feel lost. Sister Shepherd and I had grown so close, and I enjoyed her as a companion so much! It's an adjustment and it's a hard one, but I'll see her soon:) I have never prayed so hard as much as I have these past few months to develop certain qualities, so I know that these 2 companions are just Heavenly Fathers way of helping me out with those desires:)

As far as work, we have a little miracle with an awesome new investigator! His name is Jose. We gave him an LA english one day really quickly in a little market because we were running late getting to the church, but he actually showed up to class, and during the spiritual thought he started telling US about Joseph Smith and told another student to read the Book of Mormon as he quoted Moroni 10:3-5! We were just thinking, "who is this guy!?" Anyways, apparently he had gone to church for 3 years back in Salvador about 5-7 years ago! So he came to church last week, and is super stoked for general conference. We taught him the next class about Thomas S. Monson and he seemed so surprised so it makes me think that there are still people in the world that aren't connected to this fast paced internet world. Weird right? Just kidding. We haven't been able to set a baptismal date with him yet:( BUT I have no doubt that he can be baptized this transfer. 

I love you so much! Thank you for all your prayers! God truly does answer prayers no matter what they are as long as they are righteous desires:)

Love,

Hermana Ford

Missions are the best March 24, 2014

Dear Family,

I totally forgot to tell you the rest of our Friday after we gave the training on ministering! So during lunch I decided to call an Hermana because we were looking for a member to go to a lesson with us, and with in a few seconds I realized she wasn't doing very good. Apparently she was going through some legal things with her neighbor and they were going to court that monday. I talked to her for a while and she just cried, and then we offered to go and talk to her some more later that night. I have no doubt that we were suppose to call her and be able to give her some comfort and just listen which is slightly cool because we trained more specifically on listening, so it was cool to put that to work and feel good about the time we spent because I knew we were ministering!:)

This week has been good...well a hard one for Sister Shepherd, but she is doing so much better now! I guess she has been frustrated that she feels like she has tried so many different things, and everything isn't fixed. We happened to go on exchanges this week, and the sister training asked if she had prayed about if she needed to go home, so that pretty much put a pit in my stomach because I feel like she has been making so much progress, but that's just me, and I would be lying if I said I would feel like I hadn't done enough and I could have done more if she decided to go home, but just having that pit in her stomach freaked her out enough, so after L.A. English she got a blessing. She still was a little sick to her stomach, but felt more peace. I gave her the talk "The miracle of a mission" to read but after she had prayed, but after she got her blessing and was in a better position to read the talk, I told her she should read it. As she read the talk she just started to cry, and she told me that she felt the biggest burden was gone and she said she wanted to be here! I had her write a list of why she wanted to be here and why she knew she could do this, then I had her read them allowed to me. Needless to say we were crying:) I don't know if the order of that makes any sense, but I hope it does! I don't know how, but I am so grateful for the things I have shared with Sister Shepherd at the exact time she needs them. It's not like I pull out a talk and know that it will just be perfect and fix her problems, but I just pray so hard that it will be what she needs to hear, and it is such a testimony builder to me that the Lord puts thoughts into our minds to bless others, and if we have the faith to follow those thoughts we will see miracles! At least for me they are always so subtle and usually just seem like my thoughts, but I have come to realize that I just can't doubt and act on them! The spirit talks to me in an extremely quiet, subtle manner. I don't know why God has trusted me with being Sister Shepherd's companion at this time in her mission because it is such a big responsibility, but I have so grateful for the feelings of love and energy succor her in the way that is most going to benefit her. Also, mom that massage thing that you gave me for Christmas was pure inspiration because I didn't even use it till Sister Shepherd became my companion!

This week we have seen a lot of little blessing/miracles this week! We received I think like 3 referrals last week and 2 have them have turned into 4 new investigators! One was for a 17 year boy that had met the missionaries on the bus, and is involved in the catholic church but not super satisfied with it and is looking for a lot of direction in his life. Right off the bat he was open with us and what he was looking for in life. It was so cool to talk to someone who was so open and to top it all off it was a 17 year old boy! The other one was kind of a funny story. We knocked on the door and the daughter of the referral let us in to wait for her mom to return from the market, and so we sat in the living room, and her little boy woke up and started crying, so she left us in the living room with a ridiculous novela on! After 5 minutes of trying not to watch it and wondering if the daughter would come back in we decided it might be more effective to just leave and come back since it appeared that we weren't going to get the opportunity to talk to the daughter and we felt super uncomfortable with the novela playing(they get a little risky sometimes...ok about every 5 minutes:)) So we told her we would just come back in a little bit, but as she walked us out to the door she asked us a question and we talked for about 10 minutes at the doorway and then she invited us back in! hahaha We were definitely suppose to talk to her. She told us how she felt so guilty about some things she had done in the past and even though she had stopped doing them she still felt like God hadn't forgiven her. It was really cool to be able to testify to her of the power of the atonement, and the purpose of establishing a relationship with God and how she can feel free from those feelings of guilt! Hopefully we can she a lot of progress with her this week and her family!

Fernando has FINALLY officially been transferred to the YSA ward which is such a relief to me because he was much to flirtatious for my level of comfort.

Did I tell you that Hermana Flores from 4th ward was able to go through the temple!? I'm so happy for her! 

Julia and Natalie I can't believe how old you are!!!!!!! I hope you have a great birthday and you think of me hahah jk:) Birthday cards will be in the mail soon!

I hope everyone is doing well and I pray for you often!

Love,

Hermana Ford

Earthquake, March 17, 2014

Dear Family,

This morning we both up to a little earthquake. At first I thought it was just the wind since we are so use to the windows shaking a little from the window at home, but it was just exciting because it was the first one that I have actually noticed:) If there actually wasn't one then I won't complain if you call me crazy:)

So, tomorrow is transfers, but Sister Shepherd and I are staying together! Woohoo!:) I'm not really sure what I'm doing to help Sister Shepherd, but President always tells me every time he see's me that I'm doing exactly what she needs to continue to get better so I'm just trusting in him and the Lord that whatever I do and the skills I am trying to develop are not only what I need but what she needs as well.

The weather has been absolutely perfect! I've missed the heat:) Even though it was only for a few months of cold this year:)

This past Tuesday we had a little  Sisters Conference and it was so good! We were asked to studying Psalm 23 2 weeks before the conference, and then we had a little training on relying on the Lord and a few other things and then we had a little testimony meeting. I had all these thought I wanted to share with you but they just seem to leave my mind the minute I walk through the library door! ugh

Cool little story, yesterday after church we stopped by to visit a members house who hadn't come to church for the past month, and the moment we had just kind of finished our lesson with her one of her friends walked in the door! We couldn't tell if she was a member or not for a second because she was wearing a nice modest dress and sometimes people just "look" mormon. Anyways, the member introduced us and she began to ask us a few questions and explained a few things that she didn't like about the church she has been attending. The member bore her testimony about the Relief Society and participating in the sacrament and then the son bore his testimony about being baptized! We were able to teach a little about the restoration and set up a return appointment! It was so perfect! Then, this week we were quickly putting up a LA English sign in a corner market and one of the men checking out asked a question about it and we gave him a little flyer really quickly because we had to go to the church. That tuesday he came to class, and during the spiritual thought he basically taught the first vision and then asked for a Book of Mormon after class! Apparently he had learned from the missionaries back in El Salvador a few years ago, and lost contact with the church.

In both those instances we were in the right place at exactly the right time. There is no way that we would have been able to have the conversation we had if we weren't there when we were suppose to be. It is always amazing to me to see how God places us in certain places at certain times so that we can meet someone. I just always pray that I act when those people are so obviously or not very obviously placed in my path.

Yesterday we went to the Departing Missionary Fireside where all the missionaries who are leaving are able to bear their testimonies and invite people from the wards they have served in or see people they have taught and then we are allowed to go if we take investigators. Yesterday I got to see Andrea and the Bernadino family! 

This past Friday Sister Shepherd and I gave a small training in district meeting on ministering. Lately we all feel like there has been a strong emphasis on being a mission of helping and a few weeks ago in ward council the counselors gave a little training on the difference between administering and ministering and then the past to ensigns have had articles on ministering. That is one thing that Sister Walker taught was how to really listen to the members and people we taught that we were interested in what they were doing and always showed so much enthusiasm towards their interests. So the goal right now is to minister, and to help people feel God's love as much as they can!

March 3, 2014

Dear Family,

The rain finally came! This past 3 days it has been rainy cats and dogs! Thankfully we have a car this transfer:) I felt so bad for the elders that have been on bikes.

Yesterday, after sacrament meeting Hna. Galindo(young womens leader) came up to me all frantically and asked if we could teach the combined young womens lesson later that day. I was super grateful that the members know they can come to us if they need any help! We taught about the atonement, and the spirit was so strong....well at least I thought it was:) Sometimes I can't ell if the youth can feel the spirit or they are just completely oblivious to it:) Before we started the class I told all of them to put their phones and tablets under the chairs because we wanted them fully engaged in the lesson...and I didn't want to get frustrated, and it helped invite the spirit so much! Sometimes it just blows my minds how people let their kids just have their phone out in the open on church, but their not my family so I guess I can't judge:) As we were driving home I just thought about how we had just taught a 30 minute lesson on the atonement with no preparation and I think about how that would have taken so much time to prepare and would have made me so nervous, but we just taught like it was no big deal at all! Welcome to the life of a missionary:) 

So in this mission a lot of the stakes here have mini-missions where the youth get to be paired up with some missionaries for the weekend and be a "missionary" and we had one this week! It was such a little tender mercy because it was with the LA stake so I was able to see a lot of people from 4th ward(my first area:)) 

Ok, so super funny story! Sometimes little kids don't realize that ALL missionaries are Elders, and for some reason this week I was referred to as Elder Ford:) haha

This week we started teaching a couple named Rufy and Lucio. Lucio is a funny one and Rufy is always really engaged in the lessons and excited. We invited her to baptism and the spirit was so strong and she just sat there thinking for a super long time. I think she would have said yes, but then her husband interrupted, so then we talked a little more and then I invited Lucio to be baptized because he was acting like this was just for her, but he has decided that he doesn't understand me....like at all. I know my accent is bad, but come on! He just looked at me then looked at Sister Shepherd and asked her to "translate". So did that mean he didn't hear half of the restoration!? I think he just turns his ears off when I start to talk which is a little frustrating. ok, actually super frustrating, but as our lebonese neighbor would say "whatcha gonna do"(haha if only you could hear how they say it:))

I hope you all have a great week!

Love you!

Hermana Ford

HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY FEB 17, 2014

Dear Family,

This week has been super good! 

This week we stopped by a members house because she wanted to give us a bag of extra food that she had and there was about 45 minutes left of the night and she asked us if we had anything to do and wanted to come in. We didn't have anything planned, but we just said that we were going to go out and talk to people and find someone to teach. She responded with "just have faith!" We went to go contact a referral and when she opened the door and saw who it was she let us in right away! I was so grateful that we had told the member that we were go out and find someone and then we actually did! I know that was an answer to a prayer as I am trying to be more diligent.

Laura is so cute! We went over to meet with her this week a few times, and she told us that she had been flipping through the Book of Mormon and read something along the lines that people had prayed for some people for their hearts to be softened so she asked us to pray for her boyfriend to be open and understand why she wants to get married, and then the next day he sat in on our lesson! He wasn't super keen and being involved in the lesson but it was a huge step in the right direction!

Fernando is doing making such good progress as well. He has figured out a lot and opened up his heart up a lot on his own. Something I have realized(again) with Fernando and Laura is that we really have nothing to do with them truly finding joy in the gospel and receiving their own answers. Everything happens when we are gone and they make the effort to open up the Book of Mormon with an open heart and pray! Saturday we had a lesson with Fernando and he told us just how all these things that have happened to him the best 6 months have been preparing him to study with us and he just wants to take his time, and that it wasn't a coincidence that he kept running into the missionaries and we caught him right before he left and that he has been so happy lately even though all these other bad things are going on. Once he started reading the book of mormon and reading it with an open heart he stopped being so defensive and allowing the changes to come! He also told us he wants to try a English ward which I think would be better we were just waiting for him to voice his opinion. We keep inviting him to be baptized, but he never says yes or no, but he's coming along. We can tell he knows it true he just wants everything to make sense and not jump into anything, but he'll get baptized:) There's no way he can just leave all this!:)

Right now we are working on opening another English class unit that is a little bit closer all the latinos that we work with since a lot of them don't have cars. 

We helped the Reyna's paint and clean their house a little bit this week which was super fun. We were cleaning the grout with some wire brushes and when we were done mine was was smaller and some of the bristles had fallen out...oops:) but my area of the floor looked super good:)

Happy Birthday Gabrielle! You're the best!

Have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Ford

SISTER SHEPARD 

Dear Family,

This week has been so great well aside from the occasional bumps in the road:) We had an awesome lesson with Fernando on Monday! We could tell something was wrong, so we didn't teach what we had planned and we just waited until he opened up and told us what was wrong. He was told that if he wanted to be a leader at a bible group at school that he wouldn't be allowed to go to the LDS church or meet with us, so we read James 1:5-6 and we just kneeled down and asked him to pray. He wouldn't for a long time because we think he was just afraid of what we know his answer would be. On wednesday, he called on dropped us...he told me that we were just trying to get as many baptisms and numbers as we could...I didn't really say anything and after he hung up I just cried because he had told us he was dropping all religion. Well, later that night he apologized and told us he would love to keep learning from us! So many emotions in one day! I just feel so sad for him because on monday we could just see this decision pulling him apart inside, but things are on the uphill with him now I guess:)

We took Laura to the Visitor Center on Saturday and she absolutely loved it!    When you turn off of the freeway you get a complete view of the temple and we went at night so it was beautiful! She was smiling so big because in Relief Society they had a lesson on preparing to the temple which actually scared her a lot but, she went to mormon.org and a lot of her questions were answered! The church is doing such amazing things with the media! 

Oh yeah, so transfers happened this week. Sister Walker is off to Harbor City, and my new companion is Sister Shepherd! She is 19 and from Orem Provo. She is the oldest of 4.This is her 3rd transfer, so about half the amount of time than I had thought, but she might as well have been out 6 months. She was in a bilingual program growing up so her spanish is super good. She is a great teacher and just loves the people so much! She came with a little cold, so there was no avoiding not getting sick, but the members have been great and we got some soup and another member called last night to see if I was ok:)

I asked for a car so we wouldn't have to bike 5 miles to the church 4 times a week, so that's one less stress we have to worry about for right now, but we're going to try and ride our bikes pretty much the rest of the time!

On Sunday we went to Sister Shepherd's old ward for a baptism. The funny part was it was a family member of someone that I had gone back to a baptism with Sister Robinson, and I know the relief society president! This is the only ward that I haven't served in that I have gone to a baptism for and it was for the same family! I feel like I just have to serve in the ward sometime! haha;)

Other that those few updates life is good, the work is progressing, and there are miracles left and right! I seriously cannot believe how prepared Fernando and Laura are! Laura remembers the day we stopped her on the street and when we were at the Visitor's Center she saw a pass along card and took it because it was the one that we gave to her when we first met her on the street! So cute!

I love the Lord, and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE being a missionary! There is nothing else I would rather be doing than be here and learning the things that I am learning!

I love you all so much and hope you have a great Valentine's Day! Thank you for the package! I laughed so hard at the little minion cards, and am so excited to hand out all the little bags!

Love,

Hermana Ford

February 3 2014

Dear Family,

The week just seemed so packed of events it's hard to remember all of them and decide which ones would be the most interesting to you all!

At stake conference 2 weeks ago, one of the area 70 asked us all to fast yesterday for rain because we were apparently in an official drought about 3 weeks ago, and it rained last night! Not a lot, but if anyone doesn't have a testimony of the power of fasting I don't know what more of an answer they can get than rain! Every fast Sunday I am so impressed and grateful for the testimonies of the members because they have such a big impact on investigators! Giovanna an 11 year old went up to bear her testimony and both Laura and Fernando were so impressed! I loved watching Laura's face as she listened to all the members testimonies. This was the first time coming to the ward because the first week she went to was stake conference. The relief society lesson was all about prepraring and being worthy to go to the temple, and after she told me that the lesson had scared her hahah. Same thing happened with Fernando the week before when people were talking about baptisms for the dead...common theme?

We met Hno. Flores, a less active of about 20 years the other week and we had set up a lesson with them and their family for friday and as we got their everyone was on their way out except for the parents! We were a little sad at first because we wanted to teach the restoration to the hermano and his grandson who loves the church and wants to be baptized, but it turned out super cool because we were able to get to know him a little better(he's pretty quiet). He has started to read the lesson manual for the year, and he is just loving it! As we were talking he talked about how he wants to come back, but he knows he has a lot of things to do to get ready to baptize his grandson because he feels like he has a refrigerator on his shoulders;) The other week he came you could tell he looked so uncomfortable, but he wants to come back so badly. We have an FHE with them tonight! I love their family so much already!

Transfers are tomorrow and I'm staying. My new companion is Sister Shepherd who has been out almost 6 months. She sang a solo at the Christmas devotional and she looks super adorable and sweet! I'm excited to get to know her and work really hard. This area needs a little bit of a face lift and some missionaries just to go crazy here!

Fernando is doing well...he came to church for himself this week. He is always sending us scriptures for us to look up and then we come to lesson with scriptures from the bible to help him believe. I gave him a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon and he send he was still reading them aka seeing how credible they are:) He is definitely helping understand how important it is to use the bible and understand and be able to explain a little bit better the bible and the Book of Mormon because up to this point I have favored the Book of Mormon. He frustrates me a little bit because when we first met him he asked me if he could be saved without the book of mormon. At first I said yes and no...then I thought about it more and I realized that no where in the scriptures does it say that you need the book of mormon to be saved(so I gave him the chapters about the doctrine of christ and Moroni 7 to read), so I correct myself and told him no, and then the next lesson he told me he wanted me to think about how it made me feel to tell him that he could be saved without the book of mormon and tell him the next lesson.(hopefully i'm not saying anything undoctrinal). So, I've thought about that a lot and the reason it frustrates me so much and makes me so sad to say that because the Book of Mormon is the proof that he is looking for, but he wants to go through the Bible first and struggles a lot with Joseph Smith and people saying that they know that this church is true. I just want to yell "the Book of Mormon will solve all of your problems" but I obviously can't do that, so I'm relearning patience and love again:) 

  On the other hand of investigators is Laura! She is doing great:) This week we taught about faith and repentance and as we were leaving she told us that was her favorite lesson:) Spiritual things are super foreign to her at this point so she giggles a lot(sound familiar?:)) but she told us that she has been feeling a lot better since we have been coming!:) It was so cute. The other day it was looking a little stormy and when she was saying the closing prayer, she prayed that it wouldn't rain until we got home!:) Hopefully we can go to the visitor center this week or next! 

This was part of my email to president this week:(not sure if you actually want to read this, but I generally just tell you all the surface stuff)

"I'm about a month away from having been out a year which has made me do a lot of pondering on where I'm at and where I want to be at the end of my mission. As I've thought about I feel like I can be more and do more and in order for me to even get where I want to be and feel content with the work I'm doing I have to do a little changing. I can't just say "ok, tomorrow I'll do better" or "that can't happen again". I have to repent and commit to the Lord that I WILL do better. The word repent is always a humbling word because I don't feel like I have used it as frequently as I should, so I guess I thought I should be accountable to the Lord and to you. I won't fall asleep while stretching in the morning or stay to long in the apartment, and I will try my hardest to everyone that I can. I can't just expect the last 6 months to magically be the best or most successful part of my mission."

So basically, with the whole no pictures thing for a while is because I just want to get lost in the work again and stop thinking about things that I know shouldn't be at the top of my mind, but this little change of mind and heart has been coming along well. From what I have heard my new companion is a super hard worker, so I'm looking forward to that because what your companion talks about makes a HUGE difference especially when I adapt to the people around me:)

Happy Birthday Brooke! I love you so much!

Those were a few things that happened this week:)

Love,

Hermana Ford

pics:

I bet you'll never guess which desk is mine:) A tornado pretty much hits it every morning

Hna Rodriguez! She is going through the temple soon, and wants us to go with her! Love her so much:)