Welp, there goes 17 months... - July 17, 2017

This is our new friend! He's so cute. He's a good missionary
 

I hope this week was good for ya :) It was pretty great for me! I hit my 17 month mark, that was pretty weird. Time flies, ya know?

This Monday we had a cool experience-- we went to knock the door of some new investigator we'd met, and she wasn't there. So we knocked her neighbor's door, and he let us right in! His name was Pablo and was so awesome! He talked a LOT. But he was cool :) and we saw him on the street the other day and he had been reading in the Book of Mormon! Woo! 

That night at like 8:30 we went out and were handing out some english class cards. We were getting rejected a lot.. Then I gave one to this young adult guy, and he said he spoke english, but that his step-mom didn't! So we stood and started talking to him and he asked if we were from a church or something. He said he'd seen mormons before, but we were the first ones to ever stop and talk to him! Then he said "okay, give me a thirty second run-down of your beliefs. Who are you guys?" haha so we talked for a second about Heavenly Father, Christ, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. He said he'd just moved to UC and was looking to start a new life here, and was even thinking about a new faith! We found him on facebook and scheduled a time to have a facetime lesson. He was really chill and super nice! 

So we met with him Wednesday night and he had a TON of questions about the Restoration. It was sweet! And he said he'd be at church Sunday :) and he came!! He showed up like 40 minutes late.. but he was there! And he loved it! He said he'll be back next Sunday :) but he speaks a lot of English, we think we might give him over to the YSA Elders. But that's okay! His name is Johan. He's the best. 

We also went on exchange!! It was super fun! I went with Sister Owen from Rexburg. She actually graduated with Braxton Stocking! Isn't that crazy?! And her aunt knows Liz! So many connections. She's a super awesome missionary, we had a really good time :) we got chewed out by this one lady because we were trying to help her find some park she was going to.. haha what?! Then we met this nice guy that told us to bring pepper spray with us all over the place. Good guy. 

It was a fun exchange! It was cool to be with some English people and teach in English. 

This weekend was good, we got three investigators at church! Also we had a cool lesson with Sandra, one of my favorite Mexican ladies here. We taught her about baptism and the spirit was super strong. She committed to prepare to be baptized August 13th! Woo! The she told us about her experience at church when she went a few Sundays ago- when the people were at the pulpit talking she saw a light around them! She couldn't believe it, so she closed her eyes and opened them, and it was still there! So she looked around and looked back and it was still there!! The spirit was super strong. She knows God has put a lot of LDS people and missionaries in her life and now it's time for her to act. It was really cool. She's totally going to get baptized. I love her a lot :) 

Sorry I can't think of more things! We also had a fun primary activity and a baptism of some elders in the ward. It was a really good and busy week, I just am losing my mind and can't think of anything that's happened! 

But hey, I finished the Book of Mormon this week! Finally!! Sorry I was a little slow, I was reading in Spanish :) but it was amazing. The Book of Mormon is really really true. I know it is!! It all just makes way too much sense. It teaches the truth and when we truly apply it to our lives we are blessed. I know it's the word of God and when we abide by its precepts we come closer to Him than we could through any other book on the face of the earth! It's powerful. And it's true :) have you guys all finished it yet?! 

(Ps wow I can't believe Joseph Smith translated it so fast!!) 

I love you guys, have an awesome week :) 

Hermana Millington  

Welcome to NJ, President Hess!! - July 10, 2017

 



We heard the ice cream truck when we were at their house and the kids

got really excited so Sis. Calix bought us all ice cream :) yum!

 

 

This week was a good one for sure! Having PDay on tuesday totally threw me off.. But it's okay! It was a really fun day. But poor Sister Hopson got kind of sick that night, and then we didn't plan very well, and then the Cutlers decided not to go out to see fireworks, so we didn't either. Haha ah well. We celebrated with some chocolate ice cream and some coloring pages. It was nice to wind down and rest. There are plenty more forfa julais in my life to party hard!

Wednesday we had our zone conference with the Hess'! It was awesome. We got there at noon when zone 3 was finishing their zone conference and going to lunch, and we all ate together. It was really fun to see Sister Gaytan and Sister Virgin and eat with them. They're awesome sisters. Then we took some group pictures and headed into our conference! The Hess' are really great. They actually just got married like four years ago! Crazy, right? President's first wife passed away from cancer and Sister Hess was single until they got married, she was in her 50s I think. They're a really sweet couple and I love seeing how much love they have for all of us already. President is really different, but I love him a lot! I love how easy it is to approach him and talk to him. He's a really great people-person, but he also isn't down for any disobedience! Sister Hopson and I did a little musical number and I gave my "dying testimony." That was weird. That's the last time I'll have a zone conference, so the other "dying" sisters and I bore our final testimonies. I'm not sure what came out of my mouth really, but I know it's all true! That night a cool thing happened, we were walking down the street and talking about a lady we'd met a couple days before that hadn't come to the apt we'd set and wasn't answering our calls.. And then we walk around the corner, and BOOM There she was!! Marian! It was a really cool miracle. It's not a coincidence we ran into her TWICE! She's really humble and really sweet. So we set another appointment for later in the week. The Lord hears the prayers we say, even when they're "I wish we could find a way to get a hold of her." Super cool. 

cookies and books of Mormons
 #sistermissionaries

Thursday was Amber's birthday (she's 15!) and we went to see her on Friday. We searched all over Bergenline for like 20 minutes to find a little gift for her! And we ended up getting a cute little necklace. She loved it! We talked to her about her baptismal interview and she got really excited! We're excited, too :) She'll ace it for sure. That night we had 2 dinners in a row, accidentally, and S Hopson couldn't stomach it. Poor little tiny thing. She literally almost spewed all over the street. So we went home and took a rest so she didn't die. I felt to bad! But she's a trooper. And she loves these people so much! 

On Saturday we ended up having that appointment with Marian, and it was interesting. Haha! It took us a really long time to find her because I couldn't understand her very well over the phone and she was in this little tiny hidden park thing. And then she talked and talked and talked. And while we were teaching the Restoration, I was literally right in the middle of the first vision, she stopped me and said, "wait, why are there two people there? It's only one Jesus. God is just a spirit, right?" and we were like "um... no. So they both have bodies of flesh and bone, actually!" and she gave us this look like "wow, you guys are so dumb. you don't know God is just a spirit." Haha and then she was talking about the virgin Maria and Guadalupe (she's from Mexico, they love her there) and how they do miracles. Oh dear. So we tried to finish teaching it and stress that she just needed to pray and know for HERSELF these things are true, but she was pretty much falling asleep, so I don't know if she captured any of it. Hahaha oh man. But ya know what? We tried! and we have another appointment to see her this week so we'll do our best to explain everything then. Hahaha oh Marian. 

That night we had a really sweet appointment with this guy named Eduardo. He had called us wondering about English Classes, so we gave him the information and then explained that we're missionaries and do it as a service to the community. He asked if we could teach him about Jesus because "he needs Jesus in his heart." Haha so we'd been talking over facebook with him a little bit and he kept asking funny questions (I think I told you a little about him Tuesday last week!), and we finally set a time to meet him in person. We thought it was going to go really bad and he was just going to be excited to meet with a couple white chicks, but it went really well! He really wants to learn about Jesus Christ and how he can return to live with God again. He's already read a bunch in the Book of Mormon and is super excited to keep reading and learn more! And he also brought us juice, that was cool :) Haha but anyway, that was a miracle that the lesson actually turned out really well! Go Eduardo.
 



We walked down this street and saw this painting! This random guy was selling

it! So we asked him if he knew what it was, and he said he'd read the Book of

Mormon and thought our religion was beautiful! It was super cool! Hopefully

someone bought it and wonders what it is. And then the missionaries find them.

And then they get baptized. 

 

Yesterday was FULL of miracles as well! (including the miracle that 15 years ago little Clibby was born!!! <3)

So when we went to pick up Amber for church, her mom decided to come with us! That was awesome! Then as we were walking, we decided we might have to take the bus because we were running late. And guess what happened? We walked past a member's home RIGHT as they were walking out and getting in the car to go to church! So they gave us a ride! Hallelujah!! Then when we showed up, Mirtala, an old investigator, was there! And all the less-active families we've been working with! It was so awesome. Wow. Then during primary we had a good time learning about the wise and foolish man:) Then the third hour we taught Susan, the one that has been going to church for like three years and now feels she needs to get baptized. She's awesome! In an hour we were able to teach the plan of salvation, gospel of Jesus Christ, and temples and family history! Boom! She really knows a ton already, and her boyfriend is helping her out. It's funny, I don't really feel like she's our investigator, like it's kind of just obligatory for her to learn from us before she gets baptized. But it's awesome! It's cool we were put in her path right now and that she's so willing to take that step :) We're really excited for her! 

Then that evening we went to see Sandra and Edgar, some of my favorite people on the planet, and we showed up right as they were finishing dinner! So they fed us, too! And it was so good. The food was so healthy and Mexcian and they didn't stuff us! It was amazing. I have a new kind of cheese for us to try, but I don't know how easy it'll be to find it in Boise.. But anyway, we talked about forgiveness and repentance and they super opened up about their families. It was really cool. We have to come back and see them when we come visit. 

Anywayzzz, this week was a good one for sure :) I love being a missionary and I love being in Union City!! 

Have an AWESOME week, don't forget to look for all the miracles! 

 

Hermana Lexi

Happy Forfa Julai - July 3, 2017

Sorry I haven't been able to write and this email will be way short..

but today we had a zone barbecue and it was super fun! We went to a

park and had a little water balloon fight and all kinds of good stuff.

I love the other sisters in this zone- they're super sweet. It was fun to hang out :)

Zone 4 Sisters
July 3, 2017

#zone4lyfe

 

This week has been really good! We've found a couple awesome new

people- one lady because Sister Hopson approached her with an English Class card! Woo! That's my girl. She's so awesome :) also Amber isprogressing super well, we taught her the word of wisdom and law of chastity the other day and she took it like a champ! Totally willing

to give up her Dunkin. Haha I love that girl so much. It's crazy to

think she's as old as Chloe- she's actually 3 days older!! Haha but

she seems so old and her problems are so real. I'm just so so glad we

grew up in a house with such loving parents and a foundation in the

gospel. Wow. But I'm excited for her to be baptized here in a few

weeks, it's going to be sweet!

We also met this guy, Eduardo, who is pretty funny. We mostly talk to

him over Facebook but hopefully we'll meet him in person

tonight.yesterday he asked us what God's name is and where He is. He

told us he wants to see Him. Oh Eduardo. Haha and he said "Jesus

Christ is a good guy. He's nice. I like Jesus Christ." Haha me too,

Eduardo. So that'll be interesting tonight!!

Other than that the work keeps moving along! We had a new

investigator, Rosa, at church this week and she really liked it! Also

a sweet sister who comes every Sunday (and who I thought was already a

member) came up to us after sacrament meeting and told us she wants

the lessons! We'll start teaching her on Sundays, she's super busy

during the week. But I honestly believe she could be so ready to be

baptized super soon! And she really wants to learn. So I'm excited

about that :) hopefully we get it done within the next 5 weeks!!....super cool miracle, though :)

waiting for a video lesson in the apartment
 

 

In other news, life is good :) poor sister Hopson's stomach is

adjusting to the absurd amounts of food were given most days, but we

eat really healthy in the home so it's okay! We attempted to make some

cookies for some members at the beginning of the week and I'll send

you a picture of how the first ones turned out... the second and third

pans were much better, I promise! Haha! I'm working on getting

everyone to teach me how to make their food from their country so I

can come home and cook for you guys :) some flautas and elotes and

tostones and pozole. And hopefully pupusas and baleadas! Those are

some of my favorites :) hehe if not, I'm sure they're on Pinterest and

I can just FaceTime whoever here and ask :)

I  love you guys! Have an awesome week!