11.17.2014 Email

HELLO mi hermosa familia (:

This week absolutely FLEW by. and it twas a veeerrry great week.

 To start off, last pday we went bowling with some of the missionaries in our zone. In case any of you forgot, I am basically a pro bowler. Me and Hermana Doty both got first and second place.. guess you could say i taught her well.. jk--- she's better than me anyways. But  we were pretty happy about it. 

Quick funny story: one of the other sisters went to throw the bowling ball and somehow accidentally threw it backwards and almost took out her companion, it was hilarious.

Tuesday we had this little zone meeting thing, one of the guys from the stake came to talk to us. It was really good, he basically just trained us on how we are supposed to be working with our ward council and ward mission leader. It was much needed. The only problem is that we had just barely got a new branch mission leader and he was SUPER AWESOME. He had so much work for us to do and he was so determined to help us. But then, a week and a half after he got called as branch missionary leader he decided to go to Mexico and then decided that he was just not going to come back.. POR QUE. So we have been branch mission leader-less for the past few weeks. Hopefully that will change soon!

We had another lesson with Roberto and Hermana Montelongo. Remember how I said I suffered through the longest lesson of my entire life last week? Well that one does not even compare to this one! We were planning on teaching the Plan of Salvation and it actually started out to be a pretty good lesson, but it's seriously impossible to say more than 7 words without him interrupting you and going on about something else! This lesson lasted an hour and 45 minutes! yes!!! i am serious guys. It was horrible. Half way though I was just sitting there and literally just could not pay attention. And the really sad part is that out of all of that time we only taught up to the fall of Adam and Eve! Don't even ask me how this happens because I have no idea. The good thing is that he loves meeting with us though, so we will figure out a way to eventually have a normal lesson with him!

Tuesday night we met this guy named Ramon sitting outside of his house. At first he was  not wanting to talk to us at all. I guess he has had missionaries in the past and it was not a good experience. But then the more we talked to him, the more he just started pouring out his feelings. It was crazy! We stood there for  40 minutes as he talked about EVERYTHING in his life (idk why people like talking to us for a long time) then said, "but I'm not an open book.." We both sat there and we were like uhhh..sure!!!   it was funny. But yeah he is super awesome and actually wants us to keep coming by and talking to him!

Wednesday we went to visit la familia Habana. They are so great! For sure one of my favorite families here. She absolutely LOVES us. She is always giving us food, it's great. That night we had this guy from Salt Lake come and basically just observe us plan, then Thursday morning he came back and 'observed' us study in the morning. All four hours of study! It was the weirdest thing of my life, but he was really nice so that's good. I think it's because of this new program they are doing for missionaries learning a new language, and hermana doty is part of it.

Friday night we went to a thanksgiving dinner for our branch. It was super fun and everything was decorated so cute! There was actually a lot of people there, we almost ran out of food. Bad because we almost ran out of food, but good because yay!!!  we love people!!

Saturday was such a crazy day. So funny story that you will probably laugh your head off. So we are about to go into a lesson and we are parked sitting in our car praying. Then out of literally no where something hits our car, pretty hard, our entire car shook! So we both open our eyes and we are so confused because we really both thought that another car just hit our car! Then we look and see this guy just chillin in his wheelchair! He just decided to start wheelchairing backwards for whatever reason and then smacked into our car! We both just sat there and were like uhh what the heck.. then the guy just turned around and continued on his way down the street. We seriously could not even stop laughing long enough to finish the prayer! Like that does not just happen. It was so funny. 

So we had a super awesome lesson with a girl named Maricela. She is pretty young but she is married and has a little girl. She is SO nice and really loves talking to us. and the best part? SHE SPEAKS SPANISH. you may not think that is a big deal, but trust me. It is a STRUGGLE to find people who speak Spanish! So we are really excited about that. 

Saturday night we went to a birthday fiesta for a little boy in the branch. IT WAS SO FUN! They literally had three pinatas and so much food! (keep in mind this little boy is turning 2). I just love Mexican fiestas because everyone is so happy all the time and the food is just so good. They had menudo, and it was hermana doty's first time trying it. hahahaha it was quite hilarious. i don't think she is a huge fan of it. 

Sunday was the temple dedication! Which was so great and spiritual in every way possible! I love temple dedications. I wish we could have our investigators there, because it would be such a cool experience for them! But the whole time I was just thinking of how incredibly lucky we are to have temples here! Especially when we have a temple so close to us, i miss not going to the temple as often as I want! I definitely took that for granted before my mission. So to family at home, you better go to the temple! and you better be going TWICE, once for you and once  for me! :)

Anyways, this week we have had such a great week with finding people. We haven't had a TON of lessons, but we definitely have found those people that are prepared and waiting for us! It was so cool to be able to meet so many new people who are all interested in learning more about the gospel! And by the way, hermana Doty is doing so awesome. Seriously she speaks SO MUCH Spanish, so much more than I did in the beginning of my mission! 

I love having her as my companion. I can't believe how fast this transfer already seems to be going. crazy! I love the mission, I love Arizona!  And I know this is truly the Lords work!!

11.10.2014 Pictures

Ran into this beautiful girl at transfers

11.10.2014 Email

Alright so this week has been such a great week! Hermana Greenhalgh and I had our last few days together and then she left!

Tuesday was zone meeting and of course that was just excellent. We talked a lot about following the spirit and staying in tune with the spirit. That is something that I am going to really try so hard to work on this transfer! Just recognizing the spirit and being able to follow the promptings of the spirit EVERYWHERE. So far, this transfer has been going pretty good:) We found this super awesome lady named Juanita. She lives with her boyfriend and her two kids, she is SO nice. We are really hoping she will start coming to church with us because she needs the gospel so much in her life right now. We went by to talk to her and see how everything was doing, and it was really sad, she is struggling with a lot in her life right now, I just wish we could help her more somehow! But she is really awesome.

Wednesday we had a lesson with the CUTEST old man i have ever seen in my entire life. His name is Roberto, I am not kidding you guys. Just try to imagine the epitome of cute old mexican guy and this is Roberto. He is so hilarious and SO funny! oh my gosh. I basically just laugh at everything he says because everything about him is so funny! Just the way he dresses and acts, and smiles at everything you say! He's like 5 feet tall, MAYBE. ahh!! he is adorable. We taught the restoration and basically the entire time he just kept talking about the Book of Mormon, before we even taught about the Book of Mormon! He was just dying to have one and read it! it was so awesome. 

Thursday we went to Tempe for transfer meeting and I GOT MY NEW COMPANION. She is so cute, her name is Hermana Doty. We already get along so well! I was really worried that she was kind of going to come in to the field and not want to work hard or do anything. But she is the total opposite! We have so much fun together it's awesome. We taught our very first lesson as soon as we got back home with this lady named Porfidia. It went really well, it was our first lesson with her as well, and she is really interested in learning more about the church! Then we went to Eloy and visited some less actives. So there is this less active lady named Rosa who is SO NICE and she is dying to make us food sometime. We had dinner planned with hermana bautista that night, but I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to stop by Rosa's house right before dinner and see if we can come by next week to eat dinner with her. Well apparently she was already planning on feeding us that day.. I have no idea where she even got that idea! So i felt so bad not saying yes to her food because she had prepared an entire meal for us! So I was like okay yeah sure, we only have a few minutes though! So we hurried and ate all this food that she had given us in order to be on time to our actual dinner. Then when we get to hermana bautistas house for dinner she has a huge plate of food for us sitting on the table. and when i say huge people i mean HUGE. (lasagna, mashed potatoes, rice, salad, garlic bread, donuts) I DIED. I felt so bad for Hermana Doty. hahaha oh my gosh, Like hey welcome to the mission field, here's two huge dinners for you! It was really funny but also really terrible. i don't think i have ever been so full in my entire life.

Friday we had weekly planning and.. i can't really remember what else happened.

Saturday we had an awesome lesson with Roberto! We had hermana Montelongo come with us to the lesson and it was AWESOME. They got a long so well, and he loves her! The only problem is that the lesson literally took over an hour... an HOUR people. He loves to talk, and she loves to talk and holy crap, we could not leave! But we brought a Book of Mormon with us and he was SO EXCITED to start reading it! he told us that he really wants to be a member of our church. he is the BEST.

So Sunday hermana Montelongo gave him a ride to church, the second he walked in the doors he just has this HUMONGOUS smile on his face and won't stop talking about how happy he is to be at church and how beautiful the church is,  haha, he stayed for all three hours and loved all of it! The best part though: So we are sitting next to him in sacrament and the whole time he is just nodding and smiling to EVERYTHING that is being said. Then the sacrament gets passed around and as the bread comes to us he looks around a little confused of what is going on and then out of nowhere he pulls out a dollar bill and throws it on the tray of bread! It was SO FUNNY. Seriously I am sitting here literally laughing right now as I am typing this. We were both trying so hard to describe to him what to do and that he didn't have to pay money, but we were trying so hard not to laugh at him! Definitely the highlight of my week. 

THEN, because last week was stake conference, this week was fast Sunday. So in sacrament meeting people are getting up and bearing their testimonies. My companion got up, then i got up, and then when I sat back down he is like, can I go up there? and i said, uhh yeah if you want! So HE GETS UP TO BEAR HIS TESTIMONY. His first time at church! he basically just talks about how happy he is to be here and learn more about God! Then this is seriously how he ends his testimony:

"so thank you, thank you. Thank you God!... ok" then walks back. hahahhaa I love him so much! He is the funniest person ever. We have another lesson with him on Tuesday with hermana montelongo and I am so excited! He is so great.  

Well anyways, everything is going really good here and I am loving Arizona! It actually is starting to feel SO GOOD outside. I hope all is well!

11.03.2014 Pictures

Temple!!

11.03.2014 Email

IT IS NOVEMBER AND IT ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE FALL. 

I guess you could say i am the happiest person alive right now. 

Like October it was 90's and I am dying of heat basically every day and then all of a sudden it turned November and it is COOL. It feels so good outside I seriously just want to stay outside all day everyday.

(Also just a little side note to my email last week. mainly for my madre. DO NOT FREAK OUT. I am safe and I am okay and nothing is even going to happen. that's all)

So this was the last week of this transfer and it FLEW by. Thursday we got to go to the Phoenix Temple open house, and oh my goodness. It was GORGEOUS. I seriously love going to temples because they are all so pretty and you really feel so close to heaven inside them! It is so cool that all these people who are nonmembers have the opportunity to go inside the temple and have that personal experience and learn just a little bit more about our church.  Even in open houses before they are dedicated, the second you walk in you just feel so much peace and the spirit is just SO strong.Then you have to leave and go back to your normal lives and do all the normal things you do in your life. Thankfully I am a missionary and I still experience AMAZING spiritual moments everyday.   

 

Friday was HALLOWEEN. Okay so let me just say, basically I have looked forward to Halloween for the past two months.. then it came and happened and it is now over and really all I did was stay in our house and eat a TON of candy. Guys, I am serious! you would not even believe me if I told you how many bags of chocolate people gave us. Literally at least 7. SEVEN!!

It's definitely safe to say we are all well on our way to early diabetes.

So besides Halloween and having to stay inside our house basically all night, nothing too excited has happened! 

Saturday morning we woke up at 5AM again to go help our branch with the yard sale. I think this weekend was the last time. Thank goodness!!  

Then this weekend was Stake Conference and it was like the best stake conference I have been to! Usually I hate stake conference because you just have to sit there for two hours and then your butt goes numb and you are hungry so your stomach is growling and basically everyone in the entire stake can hear it.. but, that is not what this one was! It was really cool, they had it broadcasted from Salt Lake but yet it was still specifically for the state of Arizona. I really learned so much from the people who spoke. It was amazing, I feel like everybody was speaking specifically to me!

Okay real fast funny story about this week. So all the time when we are walking there are these annoying little chihuahua dogs that run after you and chase you. I think Arizona has the corner on the chihuahua market, everyone has them!!!!  So sometimes I will  turn around and act like I am about to chase them and then they will run away all scared. Works like a dime. So anyways, the other night we are walking by this house and literally like 5 chihuahuas run out in the street and start chasing us. But us, being the grown adults that we are, just keeping walking and trying to ignore them. But they continue chasing us and biting our legs! (which seriously hurts) so I kind of do the whole turn around like I am going to chase them, but it didn't work with these dogs! It just made them more mad! So then my companion is like, okay I got this. So out of nowhere she turns around and starts chasing them and GROWLING at them. I am just dying laughing in the street because this is hilarious. Then all of a sudden we look and realize that this entire time this little Mexican family is just chillin in their yard watching us. THE ENTIRE TIME. It was the funniest thing ever.

So anyways, last night we got transfer calls!! WAHOO! Transfer calls are the best!

Not really, so glad that is over. They were supposed to come at like 9:30 but then that didn't happen so they just decided to call at 11 o'clock at night. which is fine I mean who needs sleep anyways right? 

Sad news: My companion is leaving!! We don't know where she is going yet or who her new companion will be yet, but we find that out on Thursday! 

So guess who is staying! ME. and also guess who is training! ME. 

ahh I am SO EXCITED. This is going to be a blast! We're gonna have so much fun.

For real, I am really excited for this next transfer! I get to stay here in Casa Grande another transfer and work with all the amazing people that are here, AND i am excited that I get to train! I am a little bit nervous though, but like I know that it is just Satan that puts those thoughts into my head! This will be a very good transfer, and i can already tell that I am going to learn sooo much.

Well family, thank you so much for the great Halloween packages! You guys are the BEST. I hope you all had a great Halloween! Mortensen's-- you are amazing!!

10.27.2014 Pictures

Damage to the church

Dairy Queen treats us well!

10.27.2014 Email

Okay wow i don't even know how to start this email this week. 

To summarize my feelings right now, this is how I feel: AMFJKUDHBEODJ (but in a good way) 

THIS HAS BEEN THEE CRAZIEST WEEK EVER. 

hahaha for realsI  I feel like I am living in a movie right now and it is pretty awesome. 

So to start with, This is the LAST week of transfers, don't know where the time has gone, but it has definitely gone. But every once in awhile change is good, so I'm excited for that.

The not so good part about this week is that we got dropped by 4 investigators this week. WHY????

All of our lessons with Jesus and Maria have been going pretty good. So this week we were about to have a SUPER awesome lesson and invite them to be baptized. As we show up, she invites us in and then before we can say anything she just hands us the Book of Mormons back and says that they have read them and they don't need them anymore. 

DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE BASICALLY HANDING US YOUR SALVATION?? Ugh. people!!!!!!  Turns out she is a Jehovah Witness, like how did you forget to tell us that 4 weeks ago? This information would have been helpful a little earlier on!! Then we have Jose, who's wife saw his Book of Mormon we gave him and now we can't go back anymore or she'll kick him out..

Anyways, we have been trying to find this guy named Gerardo lately, but every time we go over he is never there. Then the other day his son answered the door and now he is TOTALLY interested in our message. We taught the restoration and he loved it! he told us he wants to learn more AND eventually be baptized. So i am super excited to continue teaching him!

This week we went by a part member family in our ward and hermana taught us how to make Arroz con leche! it is the best thing in this entire world. So now I am going to be making it like probably everyday. 

Also, one night we were walking and this cute little kitten kept following us everywhere we went. for literally like 45 minutes. So we named her popito, oh my gosh she was the cutest thing ever. But we ended up losing her, i think a dog may have got her.. Sad right?

This week we went on exchanges. I went to the English sisters area with sister Schroeder. I LOVE her, we seriously have so much fun together. Also, I always like exchanges, but this one was an especially good one. I just learned SO MUCH this time, so it was much needed.

Friday morning we woke up at 5AM to help with a "Yard Sale" for a missionary in our branch. We helped set up for a couple hours in the morning, then went to weekly planning. (also, i got a SICK rope) 

okay but GUESS WHAT HAPPENED???

Thursday night our church got broken into and COMPLETELY trashed. We went over Friday to look at it and there were a bunch of windows that were broken and one of the doors was completely shattered. It is really so sad, like why is it even fun to break in and vandalize places? Apparently all they were looking for was money, because only the bishops offices were broken into. I guess they took cement shingles from the roof and busted all the handles to get in. BUT all they took was our branch presidents 100 dollar phone cord. like, ALL THAT FOR A PHONE CORD? 

Anyways, so the point of my title is because me and Hermana Greenhalgh put our smart minds together and we totally basically figured out who it was that broke in. So long story short, they came to church and we were able to secretively get their finger prints and talk about why one of them had huge gashes on his hands. AND NOW, we have to meet with the police and give them information. Oh my gosh. this is so cool. Like i feel like I am CSI.