Acts 20:24

This weekend was the best/worst. 😊☹ too many mixed emotions. So
Saturday morning we went to the Pulga and got some Hispanic things.
The lady there selling the stuff loved that me and Sherbaby looked
like Barbie twins and could speak Spanish so she gave me a discount💁
#twinningiswinning #blondesdoitbetter then the Barreras came down from
Conroe to visit me and took us out to lunch! They are my family:) I
love them. Then we ran around a couple other places saying goodbye and
in the night we had a party for the homecoming of Elder Nuñez! He
served in Honduras and he is legit and his family is the best. He just
got home this Wednesday and he's not awkward at all so he gives me
hope☺️ Saturday night, me and Sherbaby didn't sleep a WINK. Literally.
Their was so much to do but those hours were the best hours of my
whole mission. We just talked about our moms. And we read moms poem,
I'm just right here, and bawled like babies all night long. 💔😭
On Sunday I got to speak in church with the return missionary, Jared
Nuñez ha. It was like dejavu of when me and sister. He gave his
homecoming talk and I gave a going away talk haha. I spoke about
angels watching over us and helping us. I shared. Quote by Jeffery R.
Holland: "My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both
the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God
never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that
we face. And always there are those angels who come and go all around
us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal." I know
my mom has helped me my whole mission. And I also know God has sent me
mortal angles to help me too, like all the wonderful members I've met
who have taken me in and would do anything for me. And other
missionaries, especially Hermana Sheirbon. I literally cannot imagine
my life with out her. She is my other half.
After church we had Eva's baptism and it was so cute. Let me just give
a little background on the Davila family. They are HUGE in the Spanish
stake here. Everybody knows them. So one of the grandkids got baptized
so basically the whole stake was there, no big deal. I really wanted
to get a picture with the whole family but I didn't get a chance:( we
were running around crazy! But when I come back to visit I will, it is
my goal! Then after the baptism we had to go to the stake center for
the missionary fireside. I have been waiting for this fireside for
MONTHS. I love the missionary firesides so much. And this one was
going to be all the Spanish missionaries and the last time I had to
say good bye to them. And Francisco, our recent concert was speaking!
But something terrible happened. It starting raining really hard, and
we were afraid they were going to cancel it. So me and Sherbaby prayed
con toda nuerstra fuerza that the rain would stop so we could have the
fireside, and it did! The church is true. It was an amazing night and
Franciscos talk was so good! I got to see lots of friends. But it was
really sad because I hate saying goodbyes☹😭
The subject of this email, Acts 20:24 is Paul speaking at the end of
his ministry. He had gone through so many hard things and trials and
this is what he says, "24 But none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus,
to testify the gospel of the grace of God."
This is exactly how I feel. My life means nothing to me without Jesus
Christ. I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunity I had to
represent my brother and savior everyday for 552 days and to testify
of his gospel and grace, and I finish my course with joy☺️💟

Las fotos:
Barrerasssss
Cristian
Nuñez family
Eva's baptism!
Ricardo❤️
Conroe friends
Missionary homies

TWINNING IS WINNING 💟👯👭👸🏼👸🏼

Just Keep Swimming

Soo if y'all don't watch the news for Houston Texas, this whole last
week we've been underwater. 💧 everything flooded so much. School was
cancelled for a full 5 days! Roads were closed all over the place,
homes were destroyed. But the coolest thing is the temple didn't get
flooded even though there was water completely surrounded it on all
sides! The church is true👏

So this email is actually one of two because soooooo much happened
this last week. It was seriously the busiest week of my mission. But
is was amazing. It was really happy but also sad at the same time.
😊☹️
Last Monday we couldn't do anything because we were trapped in our
apartment. Last Tuesday we got together as a zone and made baleadas
and platanos fritos, my favorite food. ☺️ 🇳🇮
On Thursday my English class threw me a despedida fiesta and it was
really cute! They are awesome. I really love teaching the English
classes. I will miss it!
District meeting on Friday was amazingly sad.. :( I love my district
so much! My darling x-companera gave a heart warming obituary about
me😢 Pive and Jonesy played God be with you til we meet again, while
playing the guitar soo 😭😭

The next email I send out will talk about what happened this Saturday
and Sunday! The best two days ever! Stay tuned:)

Picturessss:
Flooding
Making Baleadas with Luz and Sherbaby
The cutest family ever; Cabrera, Jonesy, Pive. Father, son, grandson
English class party!
District meeting, aka funeral :(

Zoologico

Esta semana estuvo buenísima☺️ fuimos al zoológico!
It was a really good week, on Monday we got to go the zoo and it was
really divertido
This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go on exchanges to
bearcreek, my first area in the mission. I was so happy, I got to go
to Vickie's baby shower, little background on Vickie, she was my
investigator a year and a half ago when I was in bearcreek and we
threw her a baby shower for her first baby, she was baptized and is
now a member, and a year and a half later I was able to go to her baby
shower for her second child! Yay☺️❤️ I also got to visit the Alcaraz
family, my first recent converts in the mission! And that was awesome.
This week we went contacting in these apartments that we thought were
pretty Hispanic, but we started knocking and turns out that there was
just a bunch of people from Egypt that lived there? Egypt! And they
were all the nicest people I've ever met in my life. Sooooo nice.
Every single one invited us in to their home, introduced us to their
families and offered us something to drink. They tried so hard to
speak with us in there broken English. They all only have a little bit
of time in the states because they are like refugees that have to come
and live here. I wish I spoke Arabic so I could teach them! They are
way nicer than all the white and Hispanic people that we contact.
Really cool culture.
So this Saturday, we were at the Pulga(Hispanic flea market) and it
started raining and we got soaked. ☹️😓💦
Fotos:
The district 💁
Rocking sweaters around the waist
Ostrich photo bomb 📸
Flamingos💟😍😍
Another cute puppy I found while contacting Egyptians
Houston rain probs
Vickie's baby shower
La familia Alcaraz

Baleadas are life

This weekend I got to go on exchanges with Hermana Parslow and it was
the best. I freakin love her. We had too much fun, and we did work in
Jersey Village! We came out together so we are going home together and
we are so excited! ☺️ #twinningiswinning
Also it was the best exchange ever because I got to eat baleadas
twice! Which is my favorite Hispanic food ever. 🇳🇮
This week I got sunburnt because we decided to do weekly planning at
the pool so we went to Bahama Bucks after to cool off, which is the
best snow cone place in the world🍧
We were contacting in these awesome Hispanic apartments and ran into
this niña chiquita tan linda. 😍

Testimony of the Atonement

This last week I was asked to give my "dying testimony" of the mission
at my last zone meeting. I would like to share it with you also but I
just have it in Spanish, so you'll have to have someone translate it
if you want to understand.

Una vez una persona que no es miembro o parte de esta religión o esta
iglesia, estaba interesado de los misioneros. Y quería saber que es lo
que hacemos, porque estamos aquí. El pregunto a una de los líderes de
la iglesia, un apóstol, Presidente Nelson, que es el propósito de
estés misioneros de su religión? Y el líder le contesto "para mejorar
las vidas de los de más."
A veces, nos preocupamos de muchas otras cosas pequeñas que en
realidad, no importan. Si estamos cumpliendo con nuestro deber de
hacer mejor la vida de otros, estamos representando Jesucristo. Porque
es lo que él hizo.
Me encanta el libro de mormón y todo lo que podemos aprender de ello.
En 4 Nefi, explica cómo era la gente después de haber sido visitado
por El Salvador.
"y ciertamente no podía haber un pueblo más dichoso entre todos los
que habían sido creados por la mano de Dios." Eso es como yo quiero
que otros se sientan cuando les visito. Inmenso felicidad. Porque yo
soy representante de Jesucristo.

Yo tengo un testimonio sobre muchas diferentes cosas del evangelio. Sé
que José Smith fue un profeta, sé que el libro de mormón es verdadero,
pero creo que mi testimonio más poderoso y importante es de la
Expiación de Jesucristo. No puedo explicar el amor y gratitud que
tengo por mi Salvador. No estuviera aquí en la misión si no era por
expiación de Jesucristo. He experimentado del gran gozo que viene del
perdón que solo es posible mediante el. En me vida, he pasado por
muchas pruebas y desafíos, pero no sola. Porque sé que en el jardín de
getsemani, el señor no sólo pago por nuestros pecados pero también
tomó sobre si, los dolores y penas del mundo para que no tengamos que
sufrir. El 31 de marzo 2012 mi mama murió en un accidente.  Este día
mismo, hace 3 años, abril 2013, nos sellamos en el templo del señor.
Mediante la expiación sé que puedo regresar y vivir con mi mama otra
vez y tener una familia eterna. Yo quiero esta felicidad y bendiciones
por todos los de más y este es porque estoy aquí.

Las personas dicen que somos llamados a misiones específicas porque
hay persones allá que nos necesitan. Pero, yo digo que fui llamada
aquí porque Yo necesitaba conocer las personas aquí que han cambiado
mi vida para siempre.
Les amo tal como dios les ama. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amén.

This is translated to English from Google. Not the best, I know, but you get the idea! :)

Once a person who is not a member or part of this religion or this 
church, was interested missionaries. And wanted to know what 
we do, because we are here. He asked one of the leaders of 
the church, an apostle, President Nelson, which is the purpose of 
your missionaries of their religion? And the leader will answer "to improve 
the lives of many. " 
Sometimes we worry about many other little things that 
not really matter. If we are fulfilling our duty 
make life better for others, we are representing Jesus Christ. 
It is what he did. 
I love the Book of Mormon and all that we can learn from it. 
In 4 Nephi explains how people were after being visited 
by the Savior. 
"And surely there could not be a happier people among all 
that had been created by the hand of God." That is as
others feel when I visit. Immense happiness. Because I 
I am a representative of Jesus Christ. 

I have a testimony of the gospel many different things. I know 
that Joseph Smith was a prophet, I know the Book of Mormon is true, 
but I think my most powerful and important testimony is the 
Atonement of Jesus Christ. I can not explain love and gratitude 
I have for my Savior. I was not here in the mission if not by 
Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have experienced the great joy that comes from 
forgiveness is only possible through. In my life, I've been through 
many tests and challenges, but not alone. Because I know that in the garden 
getsemani, He pay not only for our sins but also 
He took upon the pains and sorrows of the world to not have to 
suffer. On March 31, 2012 my mother died in an accident. This day 
same, three years ago, in April 2013, we were sealed in the temple of the Lord. 
Through the Atonement I know I can go back and live with my mom another 
once and have an eternal family. I want this happiness and blessings 
by all over and this is why I'm here. 

People say that we are called to specific missions because 
There persones there who need us. But I say that was called 
here because I needed to know the people here have changed 
my life forever. 
I love them as God loves them. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Oh death where is thy sting? Oh grave where is thy victory?

I'm so blessed every year to have General conference right by the
anniversary of the death of my mother. The words of the Lords servants
bring so much peace and help me feel the spirit and love my Heavenly
Father and mom.

There were so many wonderful things that I liked from conference.

I think my favorite talk was in the Sunday afternoon session by Paul
V. Johnson about the resurrection.
Without the resurrection we could never feel a fullness of joy.
Oh death where is thy sting? Oh grave where is thy victory?
Through the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Now, what do we hear in
the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of
mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings
for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad
tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of
those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion:
Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the
knowledge of God descend upon them!

Another talk that really touched me was by Ronald A. Rasband. He
talked about Jesus reaching out to Peter in the water to save him and
he said, The lord often reaches out to us through church leaders, like
bishops, auxiliary leaders, or visiting teachers. I immediately
thought of Jaime Beal and Emily Olsen. The two return-missionary
visiting teachers who visited me during my hardest time, reached out,
and literally saved me. I have never felt the love of the Savior more
in my life than experiencing the joy I received from them bringing me
unto Christ. And now I get to continue to experience that joy by
reaching out to save others by inviting them to Come unto Christ.

There were many other talks I enjoyed; Bonnie L. Oscarson, W.
Christopher Waddell, Gerrit W. Gong, President Uchtdorf, Elder
Holland, and of course Prophet Monson.
Some quotes I really liked:
You can have what you want, or you can have something better
None of us should be defined for the worst thing we've ever done
May we choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong
As members of the church, we are already on the boat, we don't have to
go searching for anything else.
The peace we all want requires more than a desire, it requires us to act.
Your righteousness is the greatest gift you can give to a father
There's nothing good unless you do it
Obedience is the life blood of faith.
Obedience is not a way to change us into something we are not. It is
the process in  which we discover of what we truly are made of, our
birthright and purpose. We are made in the image of God, by God, he is
perfect.
God sees us as we truly are and he sees us worthy to rescue
He knows everything that we don't want anybody else to know about us
and he still loves us anyways
When we remember his example we will not give or take offense.
With God, there is no point of no return
Some things can only be learned by faith
Tomorrow will be as equal magnificent. Why? Because God wants it to be
Heaven is cheering you on. Today, tomorrow and forever.

Yeah,, it was a really, really good conference! ☺️😊

Bautismo=Feliz Pascua

I had an AMAZING last week of march and I'm so emocionada to tell you guys about it:) mostly just because I love easter and the atonement of Jesus Christ more than anything.

So last monday we painted eggs as a district, and I made one for mom of course, TJL

and one for Jesus, like daddy dallas always does. Jesus es mi Luz

Then on tuesday we had a Zone Conference about family history. Hna. Sheirbon and I discovered that we are related some how!!!! we found both our names on a head stone in oregon..weird but i yeah i knew we were family because we are the same person. 

also i went to the Doctor this week and I get to take my book off yay! no more ugly foot.

then on friday we had a super fun district meeting and spanish study that i taught.

then on saturday FRANCISCO WAS BAPTIZED. AND IT WAS THE BEST.

Let me just tell y'all about Francisco. He is from Venezuela and he's awesome. he progressed to baptism in three weeks! He loves the BOM and coming to church. he has lots of new friends in the ward and we just love him. When i asked him what member he wanted to speak at his baptism, he said "are you a member?" haha so i ended up speaking.. it was great. I'm happy.

then saturday night we got to watch the Womens conference which was spiritual as usual. I loved what Neill F. Marriott said, "the more we follow christ, the more we feel his love and direction. the more we feel his love and direction, the more we will have a desire to teach others to follow."