Change is good

Mi familia hermosa,

Last Tuesday I went on an exchange with Sister Romero in Sacramento and Sister Beale came to be with Sister Toro (the two sisters I trained served together:)). I went on an exchange with Sister Romero last transfer, too, and it was so great being able to see what changes a few short weeks can bring on the mission. They are a little short on miles this month, so we walked from one house to another (a luxury we do not enjoy here where there are so many English speakers!) and I got a very nice sun burn on my arms, which has now turned into a farmer's tan. I wish I had worn shorter sleeves...

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference! The theme was the Challenge to Become. If you haven't read the talk by Elder Oaks I would recommend it! A few elders shared the talks they had written, and I really liked some of the scriptures they shared. In Hebrews 11:40 it says (in the JST), "God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect." And Ezekiel 36:26 talks about how we will have a new heart and new spirit, and that he will take out our stony heart and give us a heart of flesh. It's only through sufferings and challenges that we can be stretched and grow. Heavenly Father has something good in store for us, even though we don't like the punches and slaps that come along the way. Sometimes when we are talking to people on the street or at their door, we teach about the purpose of life. Some tend to disagree with us--that life is not supposed to be a time of testing because a loving God wouldn't create us with that purpose in mind. But I know that it is and that he sent us to the earth to progress--but he didn't leave us without a Savior and without help (prayer, scriptures, the Holy Ghost). Any loving parent wants his or her child to grow and become better than they are--to leave the home, go to school, become self-sufficient. This morning I was actually talking to Sister Toro about how I have been teaching her everything I know about the mission and have tried my best to prepare her to have a beautiful mission and that I have worked so hard because I want her to be a better missionary than me. I had a strange glimpse into parenthood (but I know that it doesn't even compare). And that's exactly what our Heavenly Father wants of us. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that helps us on our path back to Father in Heaven.

President Lewis asked us to think about this question: "What attribute will I develop to make me a more powerful and effective minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ?" I chose faith and have been studying faith every day and trying to exercise more faith--faith that as I get up and start moving, I will have the energy to keep going through the day. And faith to find people who are searching for the gospel in its fullness. And faith that as we teach them, they will feel the Spirit and have a desire to make and keep commitments.

President also asked us to review our obedience and worthiness. "What are you becoming and what's the next step for you?" He told us to remember who we are. That we are divine children of a Father in Heaven. He showed a clip from the Lion King--who knew a children's movie could have such a powerful message? Remember who you are.

And I am out of time. Oh darn, and we had Stake Conference yesterday and got a new Stake President. Two members of the Seventy came and talked about really great things. Okay, love you all. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Love you!!

kates

True Conversion

Querida Familia,

We have zone conference this week! The APs asked me to sing a solo at zone conference on Wednesday about Christ's life. Why they would ask me to sing a solo, I have no idea. Little do they know that they are going to get a very shaky rendition of Never a Better Hero. President also asked us to write a talk about the talk The Challenge to Become that Elder Oaks gave in general conference in 2000. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng It's been really nice getting to read the talk each morning and thinking about what true conversion is. It's interesting that the Savior commands us to become as little children in order to inherit the kingdom of God. We're always trying so hard to grow up and know more and become completely independent, but we are commanded to become more humble, patient, loving and charitable, more obedient and more submissive to the will of God. I'm pretty sure that you've all watched The Ultimate Gift because it's one of Dad's top favorite movies, which means he has shared it with us. :) Elder Oaks talks about a parable in his talk that reminded me of that movie. Our Father in Heaven wants to give us absolutely everything (our inheritance) and He could, but it would do us no good if we just waste it. We have to learn to become responsible, grateful, dependent on Him in order to take advantage of all the blessings He has in store for us. We need to have our hearts changed and be truly converted. I have been thinking a lot about how we were born into this world to receive physical bodies in order to grow and experience different things in life. We are commanded to be born again, which starts with baptism--being born of the spirit. Only then can we  become new creatures in Christ and progress spiritually--essentially being born again. I love the scripture that Elder Oaks includes in the talk about being baptized and then "walking in the newness of life."

Our ward was split yesterday. The remaining Del Norte ward was drastically reduced with the new Rio Tierra ward in the other stake taking most of the members and a lot of the leadership. We have the same bishop, but his counselors and Relief Society president are going into the new ward. One of my good friends in the ward is the new Relief Society president--Amanda! So we are going to be working with her a lot to get things organized in the Relief Society--only a handful of women raised their hands yesterday to indicate that they lived in the Del Norte boundaries. We have a lot of work to do! The Ro Family is going to be in the other stake. :( But I have challenged one of the members who lives in their new neighborhood to love them and watch out for them.

One of our investigators has cancer and started chemotherapy on Friday. It makes her really sad knowing that she is going to lose her hair soon and she is depressed and losing hope. We made her brownies and stop by more frequently para darle animo... to encourage her and lift her spirits. Her daughter told us on Saturday that she wants to be baptized, which was great news! We think she is still nervous and feels like she isn't in the right frame of mind to make a commitment, but this is going to help her.

We are still set on baptizing Rebecca September 1! She bought the plane ticket for her daughter to come in from Idaho. With the change of wards, we lost our Spanish-speaking area but gained a lot more Spanish speakers, so we're excited to start working in that area and finding those who have been prepared to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I love this gospel. I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have been truly converted and will continue to serve my Heavenly Father for the rest of my life. I know that we teach teach every single day is true. There is hope in this life. There is peace. There is personal revelations and blessings that come from keeping the commandments of God and making sacred promises with him. I know that he has a plan for us and that families can be together forever. I know that there is a living prophet on the earth today that teaches us what our Heavenly Father wants us to know. I know that the church of Jesus Christ was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith--that through a simple, earnest, sincere prayer at the age of 14 he received a witness from the Father and the Son. Because of his integrity and courage, we have the Church in our lives--the gospel in its fullness, beauty, and simplicity. I love my Savior Jesus Christ.

Love,

kates

I'm Melting

Querida Familia,

I think it's getting close to the end of my mission because I don't hear a lot from my family. Thanks for the email, Momma--that's how I know you're all still alive and kickin. 

This week we helped the Ro family move to a different area, which will actually be in a different stake pretty soon, so we won't be teaching them anymore. It was really sad when we were driving away--I was crying and thought "oooh dear. What is it going to be like at the end of my mission with everybody that I've met this last year and a half." But we'll worry about that when it comes. I still have a lot to go.

We met an English woman this week who said hi in passing and after we knocked a door and she ended a phone call she started questioning us a lot and asking if we would really tell her that she could receive an answer to her questions through a feeling. Yeah, that's pretty much it. At first she was kind of hostile/unbelieving, but after talking with her and testifying that yeah, the answer will come through a peaceful feeling, not some grand vision or sign, her demeanor changed. She said that there was something special about us, and I knew she could feel it, but she still refused to have missionaries come teach her, although she asked us to stop by her apartment next time we were in the area... Sometimes I feel like people open up to us and pour out all their frustrations with us a lot more as sister missionaries. I've had a lot of people tell me, "I don't know why I'm saying this to you. I just met you and I haven't even told anyone else."

Like I mentioned, our ward is going to divide next week. We're staying in Del Norte and the other ward is actually going to a different stake. We were talking with the APs, zone leaders, and district leader this week about the new areas, and I told one of the APs that the area left to us is really English. We're going to have to be creative to find the Hispanics in our area, and he told us about his ward mission leader who speaks Spanish. We stopped by his house because we were in the area and found his wife at home. She told us that just that morning she prayed for a missionary experience but was nervous about sharing the gospel in English because she doesn't speak it very well (but they go to an English ward). And then we showed up! We're going to have a family home evening with them tonight and talk about how they can participate more in missionary work. He works with a lot of people who speak Spanish and we invited his wife to be on the lookout for us at the store and around the neighborhood for people who speak Spanish. :)

Pictures:

1) Jonathan with his big (and little) wheel bike

2) Sisters' meeting--we're decorating cards. With permission from President and Sister Lewis I invited Sister Schow because she's a sister missionary. So she joined us for lunch and activities! She loved it.

3) All the sisters in the mission (last transfer)

4) Brother Gomm with a horn from Jerusalem... I think. And Elder Villalva from Ecuador and Elder Harrison

5) The zone leaders serve in our ward and in the young single adult ward. One of the YSAs decorates cupcakes, so we got red velvet cupcakes with name tags :)

6) Turns out Sister Toro and I are now Elder Brinkerhoff and Elder Toro...

7) Elder Muffler and me--we were together in the MTC and have served together for almost 5 transfers I think? It's been a long time. This was taken yesterday after church.

8) The dress that Hermana Gatica made for me! And she has dresses in about 10 different colors for herself

9) View of the lake from El Dorado Hills

10) Downtown Sacramento

I liked this quote President included at the end of his email: “Most of us don’t mind doing what we ought to do when it doesn’t interfere with what we want to do, but it takes discipline and maturity to do what we ought to do whether we want to or not.  Duty is too often what one expects from others and not what one does.  What people think and believe and plan are all very important, but what they do is the thing that counts most.” (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin)

Love you all,

kates

Round 4.5 of East Sac

Buenos dias mi querida familia,

We got transfer calls last night. Elder Walker, the new AP, asked me if we were sitting down to hear the news. Sister Toro and I will be staying together for round 2 in East Sac (my round 4.5). Elder Walker is Brian Grimmett's brother-in-law. He was my district leader when I moved up to East Sac, and I knew he was going to be AP sometime on his mission. I've been pretty good at that guessing game so far.

Mom--I got your package with the skin cream and Codie's baby shower invitation! It's too bad you didn't get to see the invitation--it's really cute. When I think of Codie, I naturally think of swimming and the Olympics, and it's been absolutely killing me this week. Sister Schow watches TV in a little room off to the side of the house (actually, right near the kitchen where we do our studies), and I've been hearing Olympic coverage every day and dying within. Okay, so I'm being a little dramatic. But really--I love the Olympics and I overheard Michael Phelps' diet yet again and the familiar Olympic music. I just sing the theme music all the way to my room and close my door. :) Oh, and I've been using the skin cream twice each day! So far so good. Gracias. Also, Mom--could you please send me a copy of my call letter? President asked me to request that a few weeks ago but I've been forgetting... Thank you!

I also got a package this week from the Jurado-Prieto family in Manteca! I love that family with all my heart. They sent me a bag from Peru that says Peru and it's really pretty and I love it and Peru and will be going there someday after my mission and staying with Sister Estrada. A member in the Del Norte Ward here in East Sac, Melix, gave me a bag from El Salvador that's woven--well, she explained how they made it but I can't remember exactly what she said.

Our English investigator Re came to church this Sunday. We couldn't stay the full three hours. We've been needing to find her fellowshippers at church, which is hard to do since we don't serve in that area, nor live in the area. She paid fast offering, so I asked her if she wanted to take it to the bishop herself. She got to meet the bishop, and we walked her to Gospel Principles. I thought we should probably show her where the Relief Society room is since she'd never been, and as we were walking in the hallway I saw a woman who bore her testimony who I thought would be perfect for Rebecca. I stopped her in the hallway and asked her what her name is and if she'd be going to RS and would sit next to Rebecca. Two other women in the hallway stopped and introduced themselves, and I was so grateful that Heavenly Father heard my little prayer, however trivial it may have seemed. She texted us after church and said she made friends with those women and they swapped telephone numbers and said she can sit with them anytime at church.

We met an amazing couple this week who was actually a referral from a member. They own two local Mexican restaurants and gave us a gift certificate for a dinner for two. We cashed in on Saturday night--Joe T. Garcia's might have a new rival! I'm kidding. But it was delicious, and we're excited to teach them again on Friday. I know their lives would be richly blessed with the message of the gospel--as with everyone, of course, but they have experienced a lot of big trials this past year and need true peace in their hearts.

A member from El Dorado Hills came to a dinner our district leader made for us on Sunday. Brother Gomm opened up Jerusalem to the preaching of the gospel when he was a missionary. He told us about a lot of neat experiences that he had, and I wish I had time to share some of those--next week. Anyway, I asked him if he was related to Jessica Gomm (who was my friend from EFY and married Steve Kimball) because I knew she was from CA. He said that was his daughter and we thought it was pretty funny that 11 years later I'm serving in the mission where she's from. That was really wonderful getting to hear from him and hearing his testimony.

Love you all!

kates