Happy Halloween!

Querida familia,

You'll never guess. I am staying in East Sac for my last transfer of the mission. By the end of this transfer, I will have been here for nine whole months. That is incredible! I'm staying here with Hermana Marroquin and Sister Schow. Sister Schow told us to call her last night right when we got the call because she was "going to be on pins and needles all night without being able to sleep" if we didn't let her know. She told me yesterday morning that she prayed that President Lewis would be inspired to know where I should go this transfer. She's so precious.

We have about three people who are looking like they have a lot of potential to be baptized this transfer. We met a man last week named J who was supposedly less active but now in our ward's records. The elders in the area before us left us a sheet with his name and address and it said, "Works Sundays." So we finally made our way over there to find the two men (it was actually two men) who were less active and "worked on Sunday" and lived together. It turns out that Julio was almost baptized about a year ago and grew up in Honduras going to our church. We saw him last night and he invited us to come back tomorrow night--Halloween--so we're going to see him Thursday. He said he'll be going to church with us on Sunday! I am grateful that someone wants to go to church with us. :)

And our other investigators are all at about the same point as last week. Our investigator M wants to come to church and asked her boss for Sundays off, but he didn't give her last Sunday. She works at a carwash and Sacramento gets really rainy in the winter, so maybe it will start raining soon. :) But we're hoping that her boss will soften his heart. She had the courage to ask for it off, and we know something good will come from her faith. She wants to be baptized--the thought of being absolutely clean from everything she's done in the past is a huge relief for her. I can't believe the opposition that people face to go to church and be baptized. The world is so overpowering, and I can just imagine how Christ feels--so heartbroken for the sins of the world and that so many don't even pay attention to the real reason why we're here and the gospel that he so eloquently taught.

We went to a stake trunk or treat on Saturday night. Sister Marroquin asked me about every day if we were going to go--so we did. It was advertised in the newspaper, so it was a community event, and it was really fun. I saw the Ramirez family there (they used to go to our ward before it was split, so now they're in the new ward). Hermana gave me a hug and told me that they were sealed that day. I was overjoyed to see the smile on her face and to know that they are going to be a family forever. She was baptized last October (and her husband was baptized a few years ago), so they have been looking forward to this day for a little while.

And the Rodriguez family called me last week. They called our number just to make sure that I was still in the area, even though they know that we can't call or visit them since they're in a different zone. Hermana told me that anytime I want, their house is open--that I was part of the family. I love that family, and I wish I could know more about how they're doing, but I'll trust that Elder Muffler (who I was in the MTC with) is taking care of them. And the Ramirez family since they live a street away.

The mission has treated me well. I have had a lot of little, sweet experiences here. I am grateful for who it has made me become. It's going to be extra hard to leave because East Sac has been my home for almost a year. The members are my ward family. I guess I'll save getting weepy for another six weeks. So happy to stay!

Love,

kates

Happy Pday

Hi family,

This week was good. We are still working away--trying to find those who are searching for the truth. We have a whole list of investigators, and a lot of them are not putting in the effort to progress and receive answers, so we have decided to drop those who are not ready right now. We went to an investigator's home with this in mind and were going to finish teaching her the plan of salvation because we have been on this lesson with her for a long time now. She started asking questions of a "searcher" and was really interested in knowing the answers and finding out that what we are teaching is true. She looked at me and said, it seems like you have a lot of peace in your life. You just seem so calm, so happy. And that's what she wants. I bore testimony to her that I feel peace and happiness only through the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the only way that we can be forgiven of our sins and feel light and full of hope. She expressed her desire to be baptized and said that she has been praying lately and seeing answers to her prayers. She feels more joy and said that work has been easier to deal with, although things haven't changed and it's just as hard. She said that her son was upset one day and getting out of control and she quickly said a prayer in her heart and in that moment, he completely changed. She said it was incredible--she didn't think it would be that fast. She looked at him, and his whole demeanor changed. I asked her if she prayed before we started coming over, and she said that she hadn't. She is also reading the things that we are leaving with her and seems to be in better spirits. We invited her to talk to her boss and ask for Sundays off so that she could come to church and keep the Sabbath Day holy. She finally mustered up enough courage and said she was going to do it the next day. We have been praying so much for her each day and fasted on Friday so that everything would go well with her boss, who is a really angry person. On Saturday night we passed by and she said she did it! She will find out tomorrow what he says. I'm grateful to Heavenly Father for the opportunity to see the change in one person. She desires peace and answers in her life, and we get to be part of that process. It feels really good.

In the mission we are right on track to hitting our mission goal of baptisms for the month, if we get 29 baptisms this weekend. That's a pretty lofty goal, but we have that many people firm to get baptized. We are seeing the hand of the Lord being revealed as we're working hard, setting goals, and striving to reach them. Although Sister and I haven't seen any baptisms for a while now, we're still working hard, and I know that effort is contributing to the success of the mission. 

I'm sorry--I really tried today to attach pictures. I have a lot of good ones to send, but my memory card and camera aren't working well, which I hope doesn't mean something is wrong with my hundreds of mission pictures... We had a ward activity on Friday--multicultural night. It was really nice and there was lots of food and clothing and things from different Latino countries--we had Mexico, Peru (I represented Peru in making Mazamorra Morada, which was SO good--I'll make it for you when I get home), Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and my mind is going blank now and I can't think of where everyone is from. I ate so much food, I didn't look like a lady very much.

Today it's raining. I can't remember the last time it rained. It's really nice, considering that last week it got into the 90s or 100s again. We're ready for the winter! December is coming quickly...

Next week is transfers so I won't be writing until Tuesday.

Love,

kates

Who doesn't believe in Spanish?

Buenos dias familia,

We knocked on the door of a man this week who said he didn't believe in anything we shared. When we asked him if he knew of anyone on his street who speaks Spanish, he said he doesn't believe in Spanish. Sister Marroquin said well that's tough, because millions of people speak only Spanish. I like being able to talk to every kind of person on my mission--I think I'll miss being able to go up to talk to random people. I won't have an excuse to do it and the tag as proof. But it has been fun and fulfilling trying to share more of the gospel every day with people and getting to hear their stories--everyone has a story.

I went on an exchange this week with the sign language sisters. I thought we had challenges in transportation and other things, but boy do they have their work cut out for them. I'm impressed with their tenacity, especially now when I am feeling like my mission is at its hardest--the test of enduring to the end. And I went out with Sister Beale in Sacramento for the day and will go out with Sister Toro tomorrow. I've been keeping busy.

We're doing well in our mission--44 people are committed to baptism this month and 15 have already been baptized. The goal is 65, and the theme from now until the rest of the year is "the field is white already to harvest." I'm sure the field is white in our area of East Sac--we aren't exactly sure where to harvest. But Sister Marroquin has been a champ and is keeping the faith and has been really positive, which has been a great help. Thank goodness for companions.

When Elder Holland came in January, he told us that we need to go home having truly converted at least one person--ourselves. That has been a blessing for me because I know that all the struggles, the pains, the hard work I have put into this mission the past 17 months has made me stronger. I know that I have been truly converted to the gospel and am surprised to see how much it has changed me. It was definitely a very gradual, long process. But I am thankful to my Father in Heaven for answering my prayers, for knowing what is best for me, and for giving me the courage to come on a mission and to bless the lives of others. It's funny because at church yesterday I realized how much the ward members need us, too. I love our ward. I feel like if I moved to northern California, I would want to be in this stake. One of the young women's leaders asked us after sacrament meeting to teach the lesson for her. Others come to us to find answers and to seek direction--read your scriptures, say your prayers, and come to church. :) Sunday school answers but that's about the only counsel we can give--and it's the best kind.

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers--hope you're all doing well.

Love,

kates

Conference

Querida amorosa familia,

I loved General Conference so much this weekend. I had an interview with President Lewis last Friday, and he told me that for some reason he was especially excited for this conference. Maybe it was the announcement of the missionary age changing (incredible), or maybe it was just the all-around quality of the talks. I was deeply impressed with so many of the talks, I can't come close to choosing a favorite. I was mesmerized by Elder Holland's talk (I think my jaw was dropped for most of the talk) about truly living a Christian life. I love that talk, especially as a missionary when I have the chance to meet so many people who profess to believe in Christ and lead a Christian life. It made me think about how I'm doing each day in proclaiming the gospel that he taught every day of his life and the charge he left with us to take it into all the world. I don't want to be the kind of person who with their mouth draws close to the Savior but whose heart is far from him. I thought a lot of the talks were about living a true Christian life of service and love. I feel like they are really trying to bring us back to the absolute basics--the very first two and greatest commandments of love--because we live in such a complex, advanced society where the simplicity and beauty of the gospel is being overshadowed.

Speaking of going back to the basics, I loved the talks about the family, although Elder Oaks's talk about children was really heartbreaking. I went on an exchange with the English sisters last week in Carmichael, and we met a really beautiful woman named Jane. Yes, Jane--and now I love that name even more. She is not a member of the Church, but boy did she sound like one. She was telling us about how everything in society is affected by the unity or the disparity of the family. And how sad it is that Satan knows that simple fact and is trying to break up the sacredness of the family unit (like breaking up families, telling us it's not economical to have children, causing contention and misunderstanding, and even impeding families from forming). As I was listening to that, I was thinking about how overwhelming it is to try to teach about the family when so many families are broken, struggling and desperate. The only thing I can really do is testify of the principles of the gospel that will make families stronger, like having family home evening, family prayers, scripture study, going to church together, and spending time together. And I guess the other thing I can do is have my own family and apply everything I've learned to be true... soon enough...

And how about that talk from Larry Echo Hawk about the Book of Mormon? Those are the people I am teaching! I was mesmerized by that talk as well and actually read in my scripture study yesterday about how the Lamanites will be rejected, smitten, and scourged.

So it's simply this: we are all children of God. Sadly a lot of people are raised in unfair circumstances without a lot of love and luxuries of life. But we can be a truly Christian people as we look past faults and are patient and strive to be like Christ every day. President Monson didn't say a whole lot at the very end (he never really does), but that's the most important part: love, serve, be a little better. That's my hope.

Love you all,

kates

Coloma

Hello family!

I'm writing a little later in the day because at the end of our missions here, President takes us to a place called Coloma where we get to play the whole day--well, until 4:30. A group of us ( who are leaving within the next 6 months or so) got to the mission office this morning and watched a video about the Mormon Battalion who were sent to San Diego to fight in a war with Mexico in 1848--around then. I never knew about the Mormon Battalion before (like I'd heard about it before but didn't know the story). Turns out Mormons were the ones to establish the first post office, the first school, and the first bank in San Francisco. Who knew? After we watched the video, we drove about 40 minutes to Coloma where members of the Church had lived after going to San Diego. There is an old sawmill and a church and a cemetery, a prison and houses and things like that. We had a fun lunch and played bocce ball and horseshoe (which I am horrible at. My teammate kept far away before I accidentally kept aiming the horseshoe at his head.) We got to go to the river, and the water felt so good. It's October, so we thought it was going to be really cold in Coloma, but it was 95 degrees.

We are in serious finding mode right now. We have investigators, but they aren't really progressing. The good news is that we had a goal in the mission to baptize 68 people this month, and we baptized 76. So we have hit our goals 3 out of the last 4 months, which has been exciting. Sister Marroquin and I are coming home every night completely exhausted. I have been having seriously crazy dreams every night--probably from being so tired. But we're going to find them with time.

We're staying positive. Sister Schow keeps things in perspective. Her birthday is on Wednesday, and she will be 82. :) We have birthday surprises in the works. Probably isn't a good idea, but donuts in the morning (that's her weakness), ice cream from Leatherby's in the afternoon (another weakness). And lots of birthday singing, I'm sure.

I'm really looking forward to conference. I liked how President Eyring talked about "What's next?" I felt like that really applied to me, it being close to the end... what's next? And this weekend is going to answer a lot of questions. Hopefully next week we'll have lots of miracles to share.

Love you all,

kates