Deena Getting a Mission Call!?

So...Deena is getting her mission call soon!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!! I'm totally freaking out! I'm so excited and I can't wait to hear over the phone on Christmas where she is going...so everyone pray that she gets it before then okay!? Scott and I took over the English part of the Mission Field and Josh and Phil took over Spanish and mastered it! All of us were state-side...I wonder if she'll pick a side or totally be neutral and get sent to Asia!? Hmmm....What is more like Deena? Yeah, she's totally gonna do her own thing!

Mom was stateside, Aaron was stateside, Tricia was in Canada but all of those are in the West....maybe she'll go to Maine or something cool and totally cold like that? so exciting!!

 Wow, I CANNOT believe we are here again....preparing  for the Christmas phone call! Ahh! I get 30 to 40 minutes so we'll just have to make it work...oh that makes me a little trunky thinking about all of this. Weird. Okay, back to missionary goodness!

We had a normal week...just lots of teaching which we love! I had a great exchange with one of our sisters from Kirabit...a teeny island in the south pacific! She is so great and we had a lot of fun together! She has some cool experiences and stories to share about her conversion 3 years ago. Her family is all catholic but they are supporting her being out here. She and her companion have both been really sick these past two transfers but they are being taught so much by the spirit and setting a great example of diligence and strength. I love them! I love my mission! I love the Lord! I love being set apart from the world and having holy problems to worry about! It is the best thing on Earth...besides the temple!

Have a wonderful week! Merry Christmas! i love you all!

 

Merry Christmas

So much happens on a mission, I seriously struggle trying to remember what happened yesterday...but for you, I'll work a little harder to remember.

 

Tuesday night we were at a lesson w/ Mayra and Krisitna, a 14 year old girl that lives in the house, asked if we were mormon missionaries. She told us that she was from Chicago and that her mom's friend used to take them to church in Indiana. We were totally shocked and then after explaining that she had a book of mormon she ran off into her room and came back with a quad! We just looked at each other in shock. Then she joined our lesson on the gospel and she had all the perfect answers and she even referenced the story of Job and connected it beautifully to our lesson and the point we were on. All throughout the lesson, Sister Riggs and I kept looking at each other in shock. haha! We taught her 3 times that week and she wants to be baptized but they are headed to Chicago for christmas and her mom attends a different church that worships on saturdays and has told Kristina that she wants all of them to be baptized together in the same church....She has 2 younger brothers that are both older than eight....let's see what the spirit can do in the next few weeks! :)

 

We're teaching a man named Frank that is a complete Alma the Younger. We love teaching him. He is so faithful and so peaceful. He has to wait a while to be baptized but we are excited to be a part of his process! He invites all of his friends to come to church with him. What a great man!

 

About half of the people that we are teaching are black or mexican. It is so funny because every time we tell our district we added someone they always say...is she black? Haha! They all want to teach an African American...and they should because they are so deeply rooted in faith in God. It is wonderful!

 

Well, I should share more funny things that happen but I don't want to strain myself on my preparation day so you'll just have to wait until after the mission when I've joined you all again in Babylon.

 

Photos

Picture #5 All of us Sisters in the California San Diego Mission at a special sisters meeting that me and the other 3 trainer sisters put on with Sister Clayton's help!

Picture #6 Dulce, Enner, Sofia, And Cesar a family that I taught in my last area (Scripps Ranch) that I didn't get to say goodbye to when I was transferred. I got to see them on exchanges! We recommitted her to a date on January 19th! :) I love them so much!

Picture #7 Jasmin Calvillo and Alexis. Sisters that we baptized two weeks ago! Adorable!

Picture #8: Yadira, She is going to be Baptized this month! She is such a spiritual Giant. We love teaching her!