Where did April go?

Buenos dias familia,

Congratulations, Parks family!!! Welcome to the world, Ryland! Now you have to tell me where/how you came up with that name because it was not in any of my lists--and apparently Miller hadn't heard it before either. :) It sounds like Mom is having fun in Houston with Miller and Emers. Y'all are doing a good job at keeping all the birthdays in April...

Dad, I will be praying that everything well with your surgery on the 9th. Not a fun way to celebrate your birthday! Just remember to take it easy and treat yourself nicely--I'm expecting to jog a little bit with you when I come home!

Happy Mother's Day! Well not yet, but it's already time again to talk on the phone. I'll be calling on May 13th--we have church from 11-2. What time will work best for y'all? That's funny that I'm with Sister Fernandez again for the phone call. We spent the two most important holidays together--Christmas and Easter.

Alright so on Saturday we did Mormon Helping Hands as a stake and went to a high school and did yard work. Of course since we're in the California, they have huge courtyards and lots of places for plants and trees. Our ward actually had a very impressive turnout and completed our section really quickly and moved on to another section to help out the other ward. Oh it looked really good--and when everything was said and done, with bark spread over the top and everything, I realized that the car/house keys that were in my back pocket were missing. My camera was still in the other pocket but the keys... I'm afraid that they were also planted. The missionaries all tried looking for them, the ward, the stake. People keep mentioning it to me--people I haven't even talked to. I'm the one who planted our keys in the ground. The good news is that I didn't freak out at all. The really bad news is that the car keys cost about $300 to replace. So Mom, I would like you to put $300 of my OWN dollars in my debit account so that I can pay for those. We'll be going to the Ford dealer at noon today to buy the new keys--I'm expecting the worst-case scenario; that it really will cost that much (that's how much Elder Clifton who's in charge of cars in the mission said it was) and that I'll be the one paying for it. They probably think I'm such a ditz. Hey, but it's a good story. Expensive story, but a classic from the mission. I'm still determined to get my hands on a metal detector and scope it out...

We met a lot of really wonderful people this week! We didn't have anyone to church again, but we're being patient. We met a great woman from El Salvador who started crying at the door as we started talking to her--have an appointment tomorrow. We met a man who's talked to missionaries before but is ready to act--of course he got a job interview yesterday after months of not working! We have been really blessed this week to see some of the fruit of our labors and are excited to really start teaching them and seeing the progress. Thank you for your prayers--they're working! We noticed this all happened after we fasted for a day and are planning on doing it again.

At Mormon Helping Hands we met a guy who served in the Dominican Republic who baptized the branch president in Sister Fernandez' branch. That was really neat! He said where she live was his favorite area--he invited us to come eat at his house next Sunday. Small small world.

Love y'all,

kates

Mom, I got your letter last Monday and am loving it! I've read a little bit every day since I got it last Monday. I love all the details and your adventures!!

Hello Blazing Sun

Buenos dias familia,


Hermana Fernandez tells me that the sun is shooting off "ráfagas." We're not really sure how to translate that, and I want to know what's happening to the sun. Is something going on? Well it is sweltering in Sacramento. We went through a pretty short spring--I actually had allergies one day--and now we're in summer.

This week has been somewhat of a challenge--well, this transfer has been. There haven't been a lot of baptisms over the past few years in the area. We're scouring our area every day to find people to even teach. Even though our area is huge (we've been using a LOT of miles in the car but can't get too crazy because we have a certain number for the month--thank goodness we don't ride bikes or walk), we've been searching everywhere for (a) people who speak Spanish, (b) will let us in to teach them, (c) will have an interest to come to church. It's amazing how the economy affects missionary work. On one hand you think it would humble people and make them search themselves--what they could be doing differently to find peace when the money isn't there. On the other hand, people are working night and day, Monday through Sunday to try to make ends meet. So it's hard to get in the door because of work schedules or changing work schedules and then the Sabbath day is not a day of rest. Sister Fernandez proposed that we make a law to shut down all the businesses on Sunday. The Sabbath really is something so important that we need to observe. I know that even for me, there are things I need to do, or rather not do, on Sundays to keep it holy. When did we throw the importance of the Sabbath day out the window? And it's interesting that that is one of the ten basic commandments that most people try to follow.

So anyway, that's the opposition we're up against. We don't really have any investigators (okay so we have like four but two are basically dropped and the other two aren't progressing). We're on the battlefield right now in the front line, but Sister Fernandez did remind me that the gospel is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. We were talking to a woman yesterday and giving it our all and I told her, "We're representatives of Jesus Christ. It's as if Jesus Christ were standing here talking to you, inviting you to learn of Him and His gospel." She still rejected it. I know what it felt like, to a TINY degree, for the Savior. This is something so pure, completely true doctrine. This is from the Savior himself--all you have to do is have a desire to believe and pray about it. That's the invitation--it's so simple!

We'll keep fighting this week to see some progress. We're still looking up, keeping the faith and having hope. Love you all!! Hope you're doing well.

Love,

kates

Baptism in Manteca!

Mi familia,

This week was a bit loco. Not really--I'm bad at remembering what exactly happens during the week, but I'll do my best! What I do know is that, R, was supposed to be baptized on Saturday but left the country and flew to Peru on Wednesday. Sad day! He didn't even tell us. We talked to his wife, who we don't think knew about the baptism, and she told us he was in San Francisco. After calling her and asking if there was a number we could reach him at in San Francisco, she said there was one in Peru when he lands. What??

BUT E was baptized in Manteca!! Yay!!! Sister Beale and I were the first ones to start teaching E in February--that was really neat to be able to have a baptism with my trainee. We did baptize A and the C family together, but this one we taught from the beginning. E was very excited to get baptized--it happened pretty fast! The man who brought her to the English ward the first time at the end of January was there. He was just baptized last July and is on fire with missionary work. Why can't we all be like that? Seriously! I talked to him after the baptism and he said he's had a lot of opportunities to share the gospel with people--and it's so amazing that he got to see the end result of inviting someone to church! Manteca--well, the baptism was in Tracy--is at the opposite end of the mission (about 1.5 hours away), but my wonderful ward mission leader (who's going to turn 22 in June) drove me there with a woman from our ward. We left at 4pm and got home at 9pm. What a sacrifice, yet they were so willing to do it. I spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost during the baptism. When I got home from the baptism at 9:30 Saturday night, Sister Fernandez told me that we were speaking the next day at church. I thought she was kidding. Nope--we spoke in church yesterday. So I've spoken in the MTC and in my 3 mission areas--check. My talk was supposed to be 5 minutes about any topic and Sister said I spoke for 12 minutes. OOPS. I spoke about sacrifice, the Atonement, faith... I was nervous I wouldn't fill 5 minutes because I didn't have anything written down. The bishop even passed me a note on the pulpit that said, "SEA BREVE." "Be brief." How embarrassing!

So yeah, baptism in Manteca. Two talks. No one is progressing--we didn't have anyone to church and we're having a hard time finding new people to teach, but we're keeping the faith and working hard each day. Things are getting more fun as time goes by--the mission is an interesting cycle of twists and turns and ups and downs, and down downs. :) Anyone could have told me this as much as they wanted but I wouldn't have understood unless I'd come. Wow--so much to learn. So many people to find and teach.

Love you all,

Kates

P.S. Happy birthday, Emerson!!!!

Happy Birthday, Quin!

Hola familia,

Erin--yes! I got your package! I included that in the email on March 26--I got your package before Pday and then another round of cards for last Pday. Hopefully that makes sense. I absolutely LOVED it! Thank you for all the yellow and balloons and goodies that brightened my day. The yellow was my favorite part. The notebooks are really helpful and the candy is always welcome--you got my favorite! Easter Reese's peanut butter cups. I loved all the notes--and Scott wrote a note. That in itself made my day! Thank you thank you thank you!

Dad--I'm pretty sure that there was a tornado in my dream last night. I know for sure that you were injured really badly and I was very worried about you. I must have known that your car had been damaged. Poor poor car. :( It's so pretty. But be careful in Amsterdam and France because if my dream didn't have to do with your car, I want you to be safe! And take care of Momma. Are the tulips in full bloom there? And aren't the cows and canals and windmills and open fields gorgeous?! Have you eaten lots of cheese (good thing Dain's not with you!) and seen how they make wooden shoes? I hope my friend Nicole gave y'all some good ideas of what to do, with her husband being straight from the Motherland and everything. Now remember my dream and stay safe because I want to see you in 8 months!

Quin--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness--you're 31!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just realized that my companion is exactly one month older than you. Hope your birthday is amazing and full of chocolate cake or coconut cream pie or something extremely tasty and then a nice long run. :) Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. For almost 10 weeks in Manteca I was running every morning and I was running about 3.5 miles a few times a week. It's never been so easy for me to run for 30 minutes straight--the mission does weird things to you. Anyway, you gotta get me back into shape because my workout routine is shot--ever since I came to East Sacramento I haven't done anything. Yikes.

Stacy--got your email. Sorry I can't respond!

This week was good. We didn't have any investigators to church, which was disappointing. Well, one came but she's been coming for a long time and she'll be baptized once she gets married but she has to work out the citizenship/resident issue and that complicates the marriage process. Satan works overtime to keep people from keeping the commandments and being baptized! We're teaching a woman who is from the Dominican Republic (Sister Fernandez freaked out when we knocked on her door). Her husband is from El Salvador. She made habichuelos dulces (sweet beans) for us and Sister Fernandez made jalau (this sugar/coconut yumminess)--and I don't know how to spell any of that. We knocked on a door last night in the elders' area and found another Dominican family. Sister Fernandez freaked out again (I feel like I'm half Dominican when I with her because I start getting really excited, too). Sis told them about a restaurant she'd heard about that we were going to go to and the boy at the door said, "That's my dad's!" haha So we were going to go there anyway, but now we're definitely going there. Small, small world.

As for other people we're teaching, the teaching pool is pretty small, but we're scurrying every day to find new investigators. And I'm out of time. I love you all a lot. Stay safe out there with those tornadoes and floods and catastrophes--end of the world for sure. Okay, Happy belated Easter. Happy birthday, Quin. Love y'all!!!!!

Love,

kates

Conference and Easter!

Mi familia preciosa,

Mom--I have to address this first. You mentioned in your email that supposedly David Archuleta was in the MTC choir. He was. I didn't see him at first, but Sister Fernandez said, "David Archuleta! They just showed him. He smiled. I read his tag. It's him!" I didn't see him and I didn't believe her and when Sister Fernandez says something, she means it, and she won't let it die until you know that she's right. We went to an investigator's home on Saturday night and showed her President Monson's talk from Saturday morning (which was beautiful) and then she asked if we could watch the end of the session. He was on the front row (I think) and they scan over him (from an angle) at the very end. So there you go! By the way, Sister Fernandez is really into American Idol and she loved David Archuleta too (remember she's 31 and she wasn't a member when David was on Idol--summer 2008?). We have something in common! Well, we actually have a lot in common.

Stace--I received your package. YAY! I have the cutest address labels!! Thank you so much. They match my cute address book and business cards. :) Thank you very very much. I'm really excited to use them. And I got Tracy's letter in the mail with notes from the kids. Cute! I also got a birthday card from Lisa Van Gemert and a gift card to Target WOWOW!!! And a birthday card from cute Carrie Edwards. I can't believe my freshman roommate has a son who is almost 4. What the diddly is this?!?!

Jordan--have you had a little boy yet? Is that next month? I have no idea when your due date is! I don't think anyone's told me. And the weeks keep ticking by and I'm lost. But I thought of a really cute name--how do you like Cooper? Cooper Parks. Yeah? Yeah? No? I like Cooper.

Malinda and Dain--I want to open your ecard but I can't go to a different website! So that's why I haven't opened it yet. But I'm sure it was hilarious and talked about one eye or something great!! I want to see pictures of your house--I've heard it's beautiful! Are you all moved in? Is there a guest room with a bed especially for me? Red wall? :)

General Conference was so great, wasn't it? President Monson's talk was right on--I'm grateful that he spoke about the Plan of Salvation. I loved the talk by one of the Seventy who talked about the difference between the Church and the gospel. Going to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is what helps us live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We talk to so many people who say that we all believe in God and Jesus Christ and that's all that really matters. I see part of their point--it's true that we worship the same God, but I am so grateful for the Church, for its organization, for a prophet and apostles who receive latter-day revelation, for teachers and leaders who help us understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church provides us with the fellowship and support we need to help us build our faith, have a desire to repent and make and keep all the necessary covenants. Whenever I talk to someone, my heart aches because I want them so badly to come to church, to feel the Spirit, to understand what it means to learn and to LIVE the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. That's the way to be happy--to find purpose and peace in this life and also to have the a surety of living with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for eternity in our families.

And wow, Elder Holland's talk about envy and President Uchtdorf's talk about passing judgment. Looks like we have a LOT to work on! We really can be a little kinder, a little more helpful and encouraging and gracious. We can be happier for others' accomplishments and grateful when Heavenly Father is merciful with someone, even when they don't think they deserve it. We're all children of our Heavenly Father, and we're here to cheer each other on, per se. How lucky we are to have the gospel in its perfect form--now we need to live it.

Sister Fernandez and I went to the Sacramento temple this morning at 7:00. The temple is only 20 minutes away from where we live, so I was really excited! Almost all of the Spanish sister missionaries were there, and my baby Sister Beale told me about one of our investigators, E, who chose a baptism date of April 14! I don't think it's set in stone yet, but I feel it will be soon. I love E! We were teaching her when I got the call from President Lewis about my transfer in between transfers and my heart broke because I wanted to keep teaching her all the way up to baptism. We found her when she came to an English ward with her friend M from work. She has such a wonderful spirit and is truly a searcher and keeps her commitments and is so great. I wish I'd gotten a picture with her and with my other investigators before leaving. :( Anyway, the temple was amazing!

Something pretty cool that's going on in the Church is that they're launching a three-day campaign this weekend (starting Friday) about our Savior and Easter. On Friday, Saturday or Sunday we as missionaries can go online to mormon.org/Easter and share our feelings about Jesus Christ, and anyone is invited to do the same! So maybe you'll be seeing my comments about Jesus Christ on online. :) You can also go on facebook.com/mormon or look for Church ads on YouTube--it's just this weekend. Just now I was thinking about all the cool things that are going on in the Church and I remembered that there's a billboard here with a picture of Jimmer (the Kings ads are a little crazy and goofy). Every time we pass it in the car and say hi to Jimmer. I'm sure he lives right down the street.

I guess I haven't mentioned that Sister Fernandez and I are staying together this next transfer. This is her last transfer on the mission, so I'll be 'killing' her in about six weeks. I'm really excited to be with her! We've been getting along VERY well these past few weeks, and I feel like we're going to see a lot of progress in the coming weeks. We're both ready to work really hard and use all our efforts to find those who will sincerely listen and strive to act on the things they learn. I wish I could tell people, "If only you knew." If only they really knew what they're learning, or what they're missing, or how happy they'd be--if only they'd experiment just a little bit. Come to church, pray, read the Book of Mormon, listen to the prophet and apostles. If only they had a particle of faith and a tiny bit of desire to learn and an open heart to feel the Spirit. But Heavenly Father is preparing those in our area and we're determined to find them.

Love you all!

Love,

kates

P.S. Happy early birthday, Quin!!!!!!!!! What is this? 31? Woohoo.