Happy Halloween!

Querida familia,

Happy Halloween! Today is a full Pday. At 5 p.m., our zone is going to a members' home for dinner and then we're going to the church to watch the movie 17 Miracles. I didn't want to be in our apartment tonight as trick-or-treaters knocked on the door (how is that fair that we can avoid people like that yet we knock on doors every day? :) It's better this way!) I'm really happy to have a full preparation day--we've been so tired lately and need it so badly. Why?

... Because we had a baptism on Thursday! My very first baptism! Sister Carlos and I started teaching her, and Hermana Christensen and Hermana Mason and I finished it! I feel like she's mine because I was with her the whole time. Her name is A and she is staying with her daughter right now, who is a recent convert and just had a baby, and she'll be returning to Mexico in December. Thursday was such a crazy day--we went to the church building in the morning to prepare and print the baptismal programs, went home for lunch and to buy some cookies for refreshments, went back to the church (after trying to visit a few more people), started filling the font, got everything arranged, baked cookies, printed off the hymns (it's hard finding Spanish hymnbooks in English wards), and all the little details in between. It was so beautiful. A's father, E, is also in town with her from Mexico; he was baptized last year in our mission (we're stealing all their baptisms!) and this was his first time baptizing anyone. It was a special experience for the whole family. I was running around all day that I didn't even have time to prepare the missionary moment, but I wasn't too worried about it--sharing the gospel is what we do every day, right? So I told about the restoration of the gospel, the Book of Mormon, and shared my testimony. Unfortunately I made another Spanish flub. I was explaining how the bishop and A's father both have the priesthood, but instead of saying "el papa de A," I said, "la mama de A tiene el sacerdocio" because I'd been telling everyone that A, "la mama de S," was getting baptized. Yes, I told everyone at the baptism that A's mom has the priesthood. Of course I meant her father--Hermana Christensen was the one who noticed, but we don't think anyone else caught it. Yikes. A has such a beautiful testimony and when I asked her if she wanted to share it after her baptism, she said yes! I haven't heard any of the recent converts share their testimonies at their baptisms, so I felt this was a really special thing that she was so willing to share hers. When she was sharing her testimony, I was sitting next to a woman who the elders had just met and invited to the baptism. She wanted to clap after A had finished. :) Yep, it was that great. And then what could be better than taquitos after a baptism? S made tacos, which sure beat our cookies!

Speaking of food, I'm turning Hispanic. I crave Mexican candies with chile, I love jalapenos, I'm always in the mood to eat pan dulce (sweet bread), and we just ate queso fresco (cheese) with honey and a tortilla this week. Yum. Not to mention arroz con leche (rice pudding!), and basically any food with chile. Of course I love the people, the emphasis on family, and the sacrifices they make to take care of their families.

Anyone remember my very first contact in Stockton--Je? Well, the first time we taught Je was August 1 and we haven't really been able to contact him since then. We dropped by his house again last Friday and he was home! And he'd remembered some of the things I'd taught him earlier and was eager to meet with us again. We went back last night and set up a time to meet with him again on Tuesday. It was a miracle! Doors have been opening for us left and right this transfer. We baptized A, we were able to meet with Jo again, and we found Je after thinking he'd moved! I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father keeps His promises--that if we're faithful and continue to work, we will see miracles.

Elder Yamashita from the Seventy and his wife spoke to us at Zone Conference this week. He taught us about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel and gave us some missionary training. His wife is the cutest little thing and taught us how to make origami mouths to remind us to open our mouths and they will be filled with the words we should say. I believe the scripture she used was in D&C 33. Oh, and she promised us that we can strengthen our companionships by writing a list of 100 things we love about our companion, which means we have to write 200 things with three of us!

I love you all. If you need a little boost, read Helaman 5--that's what I read this morning, and I told my companions the same thing. I love the Book of Mormon. I'm so grateful that we have this testament of Jesus Christ, and I'm grateful that Heavenly Father really does listen to prayers and that the Holy Ghost teaches us the things we need to know in the very moment we need it, if we have open hearts. I love my Savior. Without Him, I wouldn't feel this inner joy about life. I'm grateful for this time I have to share the gospel with the Latinos of Sacramento. This time truly is sacred.

Love,

kates

It's a party around here

Buenos dias familia,

I was trying to come up with a creative subject in my head. A few days ago I thought about, "Our two became three" and then decided that sounded bad... so I'll just state the truth and say it's a party around here. I guess I should now say that we're three white girls stormin' Stockton speaking Spanish. Last Monday I told you that I was going to be with Hermana Christensen. Mom, she's great! We get along so well. She's from Orem, UT and she's 21. She just turned 9 months on her mission last week, so we took pregnant pictures (TMI? :/... :) and got Frosty shakes to celebrate!

Well, on Tuesday Sister Carlos and I drove up to the office in Fair Oaks to drop her off and to pick up Sister Christensen. We got to see all the new missionaries come and when the new ones walk into the chapel we sing Called to Serve Sacramento style. At the last minute they said, "Does anyone play the piano? Elder Watko, do you play? Elder Hafauno?" And then someone turned and said, Sister Brinkerhoff plays. At the moment I was looking at Sister Carlos with a panicked look on my face and said, "Sister, we need to go to the bathroom right now." Why do my emails always turn into piano talk? Kids, practice hymns now so you'll be pro when you go on your missions! So I was drafted by my President to play the hymn I've never conquered. It turned out ok. Actually, it was horrible but I'm still alive to laugh about it.

And it turns out that we're a trio! President made a few changes at the last minute and didn't call me on Monday to tell me that Sister Mason from Ogden, UT would also be with us. Sister Mason's been out 8 months, and I'm almost 5. That was a really big shock and really fun, or interesting..., putting a third bed in our room. There are six sisters living in our apartment now because the English/sign language sisters are also a trio. Woowee--party... Sister Mason is on the front row of the sisters' luncheon picture* with curly brown hair. I think she's to Sister Lewis's left in the picture. We get along really well, and what we lack in Spanish we make up for with enthusiasm.

The neat thing about this past week is that I've been blessed with the gift of tongues. Or else I was blessed with more courage--one or the other. I'm the only one in our companionship who has served in Stockton so I'm the navigator, I'm the one who knows all the members and investigators and potentials and stories and places and apartments--everything. I was nervous about the language because Sister Carlos said I'd probably have a native speaker as my follow-up trainer. But things are going surprisingly well. I'm understanding people on the phone (who knew that could be so much harder?), and I can teach lessons but really say the things that I'm feeling rather than just the things in Preach My Gospel. The sisters keep telling me that I speak really well, but they don't understand how much has changed in just a few days. I know that Heavenly Father listened to my prayers and has given me the strength to do what he asks. I just needed to be stretched a little.

Our first lesson together was with M. We were able to teach M twice last week, and I was very bold with him on Saturday. Usually we can't get through the lesson because the lesson goes this way and that way. Well, I put down my foot and made it through teaching the message of the restoration. We invited him to church once again and he came! He walked to church! I was a little nervous at first because it was the Primary Program and I didn't know how he'd like that, but he enjoyed it! I played 11 songs in Sacrament Meeting yesterday--do I get a prize? M is now progressing and I'm looking forward to our lessons with him this week. He's been investigating/he's had a Book of Mormon since about 1988 or 1992.

We saw J this week!! He says that he really likes the Church and that he wants to come back. His daughter just doesn't like coming for some reason (she's 5 and we've tried everything. Play dough (how do you spell that?), chocolate, coloring books, Barbies.) It makes him sad/frustrated that she doesn't like church, but hopefully something will change. He wants to come back! And we want him to continue progressing. So that's one of our many miracles for the week--finding and teaching J!

On Tuesday we did service for L--we unloaded her van that was full of dirty dishes and table cloths and chocolate fountains. She put on a quinceañera recently (the one we helped set up), and then we got to carry hundreds of pounds back into her house. 

Did I mention that I hurt my ankle a few weeks ago during Pday soccer? Yeah... Mom, you asked about my health. I have a hurt ankle, but I'm still walking and I ran a mile today. The mission nurse thinks I have a pulled muscle, so nobody tell her that I'm running on it. It doesn't hurt when I use my normal range of motion, but I haven't played soccer for the past two weeks because if I twist it it really hurts. I was goalie when an elder (my zone leader) kicked it--I kicked it away with the outside of my foot and it bent the wrong way. I was in excruciating pain; it was so bad. But don't worry--I'm fine. I just have a fat ankle, but it's healing.

On Wednesday, I told my companions that there was no way I was going to two or three dinners in one night--other missionaries have talked about having to do that. Shouldn't have said that because after dinner on Thursday night one of our recent converts called and said, "Are you coming to dinner now?" Yikes! We drove to dinner #2 because her mom is our investigator. And we invited her mom to be baptized and she said yes! Why did I wait so long to say this? A IS GOING TO BE BAPTIZED! I'm going to have a baptism! We need to finalize plans because opposition is already coming into play and schedules are clashing and so on, but we're really going to do this. And I'm going to see Sister Carlos again because she'll come back for the baptism! She hasn't heard the news yet. I'm really happy for A--she's most interested in families being sealed for eternity. She's here to help her daughter who just had a baby and is going back to Mexico in December. We've been really fortunate to teach her. She has such a beautiful spirit and loves to learn. Every time we go to her house she goes to the closet and pulls out her Bible and Book of Mormon and asks what we're going to teach that day. :)

Elder Yamashita is coming this week for our Zone Conference! He spoke about missionaries in this last conference--and I need to read his talk in English because I listened to it in Spanish. And they announced in our ward yesterday that Elder Bednar is coming for our stake conference! But it's next transfer, so cross your fingers that I stay in Stockton for a 4th transfer because I really want to see Elder Bednar speak!

On Saturday we participated in a stake service project--Helping Hands. We picked up trash along a bike trail behind the Stake Center and painted the fence and bike path that's been grafitti'd. It turns out that one of the elders' investigators went to high school with a friend of mine from a BYU ward and also our cousins.

Things are going really well with the people we're teaching. We're praying for and seeing miracles in the work. I'm grateful to be serving in the Sacramento Mission and to be learning Spanish. The missionaries here are amazing and the people in Stockton are even better. I know that what we're teaching and testifying about every day is true. This is the church of Jesus Christ on the earth. Joseph Smith restored his gospel on the earth and translated the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know it is true and love reading it. I read about the 2,000 stripling warriors this morning--how they had never fought before but that their mothers taught them if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. I feel like that as a missionary. If I do not doubt I will see miracles. I will be able to accomplish the things I was sent here to do, and that is to bring souls unto salvation.

I love you all. Have a beautiful week.

kates

*I'll add the picture soon. 

Halloween in Stockton

And Thanksgiving...

Hola familia,

It's official. I'll be having Halloween and Thanksgiving in Stockton. Yes!!! I'm so happy! We got transfer calls last night (they're usually Monday night but they had to reschedule), and I'm staying in Stockton for my third transfer. Sister Carlos is going to Folsom English speaking for her last transfer before she goes home to Indiana. My new companion is going to be Hermana Christensen (I sent a pic home of all the sisters in my mission--Hermana Carlos is on my left and Hermana Christensen is on my right with the short red hair). All the elders in my district/zone said that she's great--laughs a lot and has a lot of energy. It'll be interesting to have two white girls stormin Stockton in Spanish. Hermana has been out like 9 months I guess? Haven't figured it out yet. I'm 5 months next week--wow.

Stace, an hermana in our ward is from Chile. We went to her house for dinner last week, so I got to try the typical Chilean dish. We started off with half an avocado stuffed with tuna and something else--can't remember. Just that day I told Hermana Carlos that I was allergic to avocado. Well, with divine help I ate the avocado (and it was delicious), and Hermana Carlos told me my mouth was turning red around my lips. They started burning a little, but it burned so good. We thought that was it, but no. We had a HUGE dish of chicken, potatoes, and veggies. We were so stuffed. And THEN she brought out dry peaches in peach juice (I know, doesn't sound right), with like oats. The dinner was amazing but I was so full.

A miracle happened last week!! L, one of our investigators, wants to be baptized but her husband/bf doesn't have an ID...any form of ID. Nada. I made a few calls and we can go up to Sacramento and get a marriage license if they have two credible witnesses with ID's! Yay! So we'll be going with them to get their marriage license most likely in November when her children are on Thanksgiving break and they have more time. And then she'll be able to get baptized--after a year of lessons!

Mom, you mentioned that you just had the Primary Program yesterday. Ours is next week. We REALLY need that self-playing piano. All right, I can play the piano, right? I make a few mistakes here and there. I'm playing 8 songs in the Primary Program and with virtually no time to practice the songs I feel like I do pretty well. I mess up all the time but I'm all we've got. A 5-YEAR-OLD told me, "I heard you can't play the piano very well." His mom's a recent convert and his grandma is one of our investigators so I resisted the urge to say anything. Boo! Haha Where can we buy that piano that plays on its own? I will use my own funds to purchase one of those dream machines.

We added a few new investigators last week--M and M--so I'm excited to start teaching them with Hermana Christensen. Our mission is pushing for 101 baptisms in December, so we're trying to focus on that and get the support of the ward. It's going to be a "White Christmas" in Sacramento, California. (Because you wear white when you are baptized...) :)

Something that I've been thinking about a lot lately is mercy and justice--chapter 42 of Alma. Just like one of our investigators, M, said, we need to start our scripture study with a prayer because only then will we start to learn things we'd never thought about or learned before. It's like the scriptures are actually speaking to you when you start off with a prayer to seek answers. Anyway, something I really liked is that it talks about how some may think it's unjust for a sinner to be punished. That sounds so bad. :) But anyway, we know there is a law with a punishment fixed. Heavenly Father has to be a just God, but he's also merciful--but mercy can't rob justice. There needed to be an infinite sacrifice. Jesus Christ died for us so that we can obtain that mercy if we have faith--and we partake of the mercy through repentance. If we have repented, God will be merciful at the last day during judgment. I thought that was so neat; how we have a perfect plan and that we can partake of that plan by following the first principles and ordinances of the gospel--it's so simple yet so profound.

Well, thanks for letting me share. I love you all. 

kates

Hello Rain

Hola mi familia bonita,

Thanks for the emails! I heard from my friend Nicole, Stacy, Verna, and Mom.

P-day(preparation day)--we have zone sports from 6-8 am, we do emails for an hour, go to Walmart to shop, do laundry, try to squeeze in a nap, clean with the little energy we have, eat lunch and dinner. Yeah, that's pretty much it. We don't have a visitors' center at the temple--being a temple VC missionary would be cool... which reminds me...

You can see the Spanish Temple Tour my mission did a few weeks ago. http://lds.org/church/news/sacramento-temple-night-unites-missionaries-members?lang=eng  I haven't had a chance to read the article, but the second elder to the left, Elder Villar, is in my district. I haven't served with the other elders.

Last Sunday the Laotian elders asked me if "Bishop Shields" was my uncle. Uncle Eric? Yes! How do you know him?? They told me that he works at the institute building right next to our Stake Center! So I caved... before our correlation meeting on Wednesday night I went and surprised Uncle Eric. He said, "Hello sisters" as we walked in the door. When he recognized me he said, "Oh hellloooo sisters!" And then called me by my first name. That was strange. :) I was so nervous that I forgot to tell him to tell Aunt Heidi and Camryn and Clay and everyone else hello. We'll see if President lets me eat Thanksgiving dinner with them. Hopefully! That was a fun surprise.

Last week we had our first rain day. We were on a main street contacting, far from our car, when he started pouring. Sister Carlos and I got absolutely soaked, and some elders in our district passed by in their car and had the audacity to text us: "How are you enjoying the rain? We're enjoying it in our nice, dry car." Mom, I'll be able to buy some rain shoes here.

We had a great district meeting this week. Our zone leaders invited us to bear our testimonies, which was perfect because I'd had an amazing personal study that morning and the spiritual high just continued. I decided that morning that Alma 26 is one of my favorite missionary chapters. Alma 26:5-7 (I'll let you look it up!), 22, 27, 35-37. I just loved that chapter because we really do have reason to rejoice--we have the gospel, and I have the wonderful opportunity of dedicating 18 months to sharing it. I haven't had a baptism yet, but verse 22 promises that if we repent, have faith, good works, and pray continually, we can bring thousands of souls to repentance.

Hopefully we'll have a baptism this Saturday! L needs to get married but we have to find her husband's ID first. Pray pray so hard for her! We need to find that ID and get her married so she can get baptized this Saturday!!

I know the church is true. I know you can feel closer to God and feel of His goodness and the peace and power of the gospel by reading and pondering and praying about the Book of Mormon. The Ensign this month is amazing--everyone needs a copy.

Love you all,

kates

"The sun never sets on the work of the Lord"

Mi familia,

Thanks for the email, Dad! I really liked Sister Elaine Dalton's talk yesterday about how fathers can show love for their daughters. I was so happy to see your email today. Sister Dalton said that the best way to raise a daughter is to love her mother. Thank you for always doing that, Dad. I completely agree with Sister Dalton--I've been blessed by your example in the home.

The mission office wanted me to remind anyone who sends a package that it should be sent through the U.S. Mail so that they can forward it to our areas--otherwise I'll have to wait until someone brings it from the mission office to my area to receive it.

A lot of you have been asking about how J's doing. Things were going really well with him, but we sensed that his wife was feeding him anti literature. We bore our testimonies to him, which was very powerful, and encouraged him to be strong despite all the adversity in his life. We had, and still have, so much faith in him. At this point we're pretty sure that he's avoiding us. We haven't been able to contact him for almost two weeks, which breaks our hearts. He knows that the church is true. He is confused with certain aspects of the gospel, but he knows that what we teach is the truth. Hopefully once he's had a little time to think about it, he will desire to feel the Spirit again and want to learn more. Until then, all we can do is pray for him, that his heart will be open to receiving us. That's the update with J--we warned him that adversity would come, and unfortunately it did in full force. He'll come back.

This week we met with five investigators. We added a new investigator this week, E, and she is just the sweetest viejita. During our first lesson with her, I was telling her about how tenemos profetas en la tierra hoy-- we have prophets on the earth today. I can't remember the context of the conversation, but E heard "sierra" (mountains) instead of "tierra" (earth). She said, "Sierra?!!" Sister Carlos can't get over how funny that was. I guess my Spanish isn't quite that clear yet.

We taught another investigator this week who has been investigating the church for a year now. She wants to be baptized and just has to get married first--so that's the challenge now! Last year she didn't want to marry her 'husband' but now she wants to so that she can receive the blessing of baptism. She came to conference this weekend--you can always count on the prophet--and really loved everything she learned. After our lesson with her on Friday morning, she offered us some oatmeal. After eating the oatmeal, she asked if we'd like bread and jelly. I said, "Oh, estamos bien, hermana. Muchas gracias," which I thought meant "We're good. Thanks!" Well, we got the marmalade sandwiches. Then she offered us some pasta. Again, "estamos bien, muchas gracias." After the pasta, the same thing happened with garlic bread, beans, tortillas, and meat. And lemonade. I was so stuffed. I don't think I'll ever forget that lunch. But it just reminds me how blessed we are to have such gracious members of the Church and investigators who are so willing and want to serve us.

You might remember how I told you that in the MTC we taught our teachers as if they were investigators. Our teachers were "Laura," "Eva Marie," and "Jose." I just thought about it this week--I've taught a Laura, Eva, and Jose since I've been here. Just a funny coincidence. :) We also have a new investigator, M, who is so intelligent. He knows the Bible inside and out and even has multiple copies of the Bible, including one in Greek. It's been somewhat of a challenge teaching him just because he has question after question after question, when in reality, what he really needs to know and do is read the Book of Mormon and pray about its truthfulness. I continue to have questions about life, about the gospel, but I have that firm foundation--that knowledge and testimony that it's true--and my prayers are always answered. In order for your testimony to grow, you need to have that foundation that it's true--from there you can continue to nourish it, and it can grow deeper and stronger. The gospel is so simple, but you can also find those hidden treasures of knowledge as you continue to study. Well, at this very moment M is reading and praying and he's building that foundation. He's had a Book of Mormon since 1988 or 1992--he's been searching for the truth for a long time... and it's been there all along. :) After the Saturday morning session of General Conference, I was really excited to talk to M. I felt like we needed to drive to his home to talk to him about it--what we learned and how he felt. I saw that light in his eyes, his enthusiasm about the things he learned. Yes, he still has questions, but bit by bit we're breaking down that wall of having to know absolutely everything before taking the step towards baptism. Moroni 10 had a great impact on him this week--that we can know the truth of all things through the Holy Ghost if we but ask for a confirmation of the truth.

Speaking of Conference, one of my professors from the business school is in the choir. He was 28 when he was my professor, so I was slightly surprised to see him in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir already.

Wasn't Conference wonderful? I watched a few of the sessions in Spanish, so I'll be rereading those talks shortly. :) One of my favorite talks was by Elder Richard G. Scott "Scripture Study." "Great power can come from memorizing scripture." I love how Elder Scott talked about how recalling and reading scripture can be like calling an old friend. The scriptures are always there to turn to. You can rely on them to lift you and comfort you, to advise you. I was so happy to start Conference on such a high note.

I'm out of time. I love you all. Hope you have a wonderful week. I think about you and pray for you often.

Love,

kates