Off Roading and Hastening - Feb 10, 2014

Family, I've lost my brain. My trainer Sister Wright told me it would happen, and it really has. I seem to forget everything. But let's try it out.

Tuesday, I had exchanges with my old MTC Companion, Hermana Hopkins again, only this time she was my STL (Sister Training Leader). We switched companions Monday night and drove back through down town San Antonio in the dark. But it was a good exchange. 

That day we got to have lunch with a member and his two sisters and his wife (he's the former stake President) and afterwards he showed us his airplanes. Yep, he has like 6-10 airplanes on his property since he helps run a airplane museum from WWII I think...they were cool :) He also has his own personal airplane that he and his wife use to just ya know...travel around in.I mentioned it to Hermana Rodriguez and we had a good idea of him taking us up in one, but then I said "well, we'd have to get permission for that" she responded with "it's not in the whitehanbook"...we had a good laugh. Don't worry mom, we're not going to be getting a ride in an airplane anytime soon :)

With Hermana Hopkins, we decided to go and visit a former investigator who lived a little ways out, and who the missionaries hadn't seen in a few years. We pulled up to the house in the middle of no where to have a donkey start freaking out and braying at us...well that's a weird sound...Hermana Hopkins and I just looked at each other, normally we get dogs...oh wait, those were there too. A young man ran out of the house to talk to us and we were invited in. His father was the former investigator, and his sister and her husband came out as well. As we started teaching, their neighbors came up the drive way and then sat down as well. They started talking about how they'd started praying as a family three months before, and they were interested in our message.It was like a picture perfect "teach families" and "clear the blind spots" situation. Whattt? That never happens to me. Actually, quite a few things have been happening like that lately, situations and experiences that you hear about on missions but never happen to you...it's been interesting...cause they've been happening to me.

Later that night we also visited a referral from some other Missionaries and contacted Jesus Flores. He is a quirky Hispanic man who told us his life story which involved drugs, armed robbery, prison, almost murder and in the end finding Christ. He now goes around to prisons in Texas and gives speeches to people about his experiences and how people can change. Pretty neat actually. We have a return appointment with him this Tuesday :)

We're getting a new reading packet from President Slaughter Tomorrow, regarding the Restoration. I'm excited. But then again, there's always so much to study, it'll be cool. 

Remember that flubbed up baptism invite I told you about in Spanish last week? Well the girl we were teaching, Viridiana, has a lot of questions. We've been teaching her more, and she's been coming to church and activities and asking questions in Sunday school and everything. She even came to a nursing home with our Branch, and when asked where we were from she proudly explained we were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints. She even went out and bought a dress (a modest one too) before church this Sunday. We have high hopes for her :)

I got your package on Friday! I was looking through the pictures of the kids and Sister Rodriguez was looking over my shoulder. When I got to Rene's schol picture, she looked at it and said "Coqueto" which being interpreted means "ladies man." I turned and looked at her and said "how did you know?!" She explained she could just tell. Hahaha how's that for you Justin Rene? Hahahaha

We've had several appointments out in the boonies of our area, and sometimes our GPS picks up roads...that are not really roads...they're more like, weeds that have tire tracks in them. So we were pretty much off-roading a couple of times this week. Good thing we have a truck :)

We've haven't gotten snow here, but it's been pretty fridged cold.

I had an idea to organize our Less-active information differently, and so Sister Rodriguez and I went to Office Depot to get some dividers. I hadn't been feeling good that day or the day before, so I hadn't done my hair and make up.The last time we were at Office Depot, we were making copies of our big maps for our Ward Relief Society President. We were getting three copies, but only ended up being charged for one. I said it was because the bottom of two of them got cut off. Sister Rodriguez says it was because the cashier was flirting with me as he made the copies. I was ignoring that part. But as we were leaving for Office Depot, Sister Rodriguez, grinning, told me I should go put make up on so that we could get stuff for free again. I told her to stop trying to sell me haha

Well family, I can't think of anything else to write. Thank you for the package and the letters! It means a lot, and also for the painting by Liz Swindle! I couldn't believe you still remembered I wanted it, it's currently in a frame in our front room. I supply the decorations in our apartment with all f the picture y'all send me :) Hermana Hopkins went through looking at all of the pictures saying "this is yours, this is yours, that's yours...etc" She know's what I like and y'all do too haha

I love y'all. Good luck with all of your writings and projects and thesis statements and schooling. Don't get too cold in storage Sharlan.

Love, 

Hermana Chey

Happy Birthday - First week of November 2013

Greetings from your now 20-year-old gal :)

How is everyone? I got your packages, they were FABULOUS! Sharlan, you know just what to give a missionary. Nailed it! Mom and dad, the skirts are perfect for biking, and the mormon messages dvds...the BEST! all the goodness I could ask for in those boxes! Thank you so much :D

This week has been a pretty eventful week.

Monday:P-day crazy-ness. Never enough time. But I did write some nice letters, I hope y'all enjoy the pictures I draw...haha

Tuesday: BIRTHDAY! I got up and after showering I came out into the front room to get something, all the other Sisters were standing around awkwardly in the Kitchen, I was clueless as to what was going on, so then I was like, "I'm I suppose to come into the kitchen or something...?" They had made me a birthday breakfast :) Completely surprised me, I wasn't expecting it at all. So that was kind'a fun :) we also had the car that day, and our Traveling Sister, Sister Isham, (or an AP who is a Sister) was staying with us since her comp was on exchanges with Eagle Pass. So we were driving out on our way and we almost ran over a turtle. But being the kind hearted Sisters that we are, we saved him, and carried him across the road to safety. Then we blinded him by taking a mission pictures with him. We also gave him a name. Turdy. We spent the rest of the day contacting potentials and visiting less-active Sisters. Then we had dinner with the Judd family. Since Sister Lund's birthday was last week as well, they decorated for us and we got to pick the dinner. I picked tacos, like we have at home...ya know americanized haha, and Sister Lund picked Starberry short cake. All in all a really fun birthday dinner. They're a good family, and they help us out a lot in the work. I basically want to be them when I come home.

Wednesday: We had an awesome district meeting where Sister Lund and I gave a training on "the importance of planning" it was a little difficult at first since we kind'a had different ideas of how to do it, but then after praying like a mad man, we pulled it together and it turned out quite nicely. I felt inspired in what I learned. We also all ate lunch together afterwards at the church and told crazy stories. The Elders had the best ones, I think more awkward things happen to them than to Sisters...who knows. Later that day while biking, we stopped and talked to a man while he and his son-in-law fixed his truck. While talking to him, his wife came out and said "OH! YOU"RE GOING TO TALK TO HIM HUH?? GOOOOOOD LUUUUCCCKKK!!" then she got in her car laughing and drove away. hmmmm. as we talked to him he basically believed in Stargate. I don't know if he ever watched it, and I resisted asking him if he had, but he told us of a show we should check out on History channel, because "it had all the answers about where we came from" and how the aliens had been among us for years messing with our DNA. Them aliens also really did build the great wall of China and the Pyramids. hmmmm...Sister Lund finally got us away, I probably didn't help trying to get him going with it. Eh, another day maybe we'll get to tell him the real story of where we came from.

Thursday: We had to go in early since it was Halloween, and we're not suppose to be out that night. So we weekly planned instead. And we came to realize why we don't weekly plan at night. There is no focus...my companion from the MTC was also with us since her companion had to go to a meeting in San Antonio. It was fun to be reunited again  :) I get to go down to Eagle Pass next week and do exchanges with her, while our Sister training leader comes up with Sister Lund. I'm Stoked!

Friday: Sister Lund's Birthday! We got to go over to Marilyn and Jerry's house where she taught us to make peacon pie, and we showed her some mormon messages. She got all excited while I was taking pictures once she found out it was my minor, and she tried to accommodate my angles and turn on lights and things. She's a funny funny lady and I love being with her and her husband. If only we could get them to pray about the Book of Mormon now! We also stopped by and took treats to several less-actives to try and warm them up to us. Worked like a charm, we talked to a couple of people that didn't want contact before, and had a few lessons. An over all fun day. Plus  I got my package :) we are also starting a piano class for the Spanish Branch since it's basically only the Sister Missionaries who can play. We're hoping to help the branch learn, and also get less-actives and investigators into the church building. We ordered the churches piano keyboard course which is going to be wonderful and we made flyers on friday. While the the computer lab in our apartments complexes office, we couldn't figure out how to write something in Spanish on the flyer, and So Sister Hopkins turns to the women next to us and says "do you speak Spanish?" ..."yes,  I do actually" she said. She helped us get out what we wanted to say, and then she asked us questions about the church. Super neat telling her about missions and temples and she said she even might come to our piano class since she's always wanted to learn. She was super nice, recently married, and her dad is a minister for the pentecostal religion, and she's from Porta Rico. Hopefully she'll come :)

Saturday: More lessons, more visits. We stopped my Eloy and Rosie, the ones we watched the testaments with, since we hadn't been able to finish it with them yet. We were able to watch the second half that night. SO GOOOOOD. The end gets me every time. They could cut out all but the last five minutes and  I would still probably bawl every  time. Rosie was so touched by it. She told us that she as FOR SURE going to read "that book" that night. We're meeting with them again tomorrow. Pray that all goes well.

Sunday: Rain. Golly. Sister Lund woke up with Pink eye, and neither of us felt good, so after  church was a struggle. We biked to a less-active who didn't even want to talk our treats, and so we went to a former investigator. It turned out we had a nice meeting with him, he lives in a nursing home and his friend who helps him a lot was the reason he had stopped taking the lessons. But he's opening up to us again, and hopefully we'll get to teach him again. After that we had a lesson in Spanish. I taught the whole part about Joseph Smith and did the first vision in Spanish as well. My first time in a real lesson actually. Nine months in...we just don't have a lot of Spanish in this area. it's frustrating to say the least. But I guess God's got it planned out. I felt like a dork anyway while my companion who came out with me was whipping out subjunctive stuff, I could barely tell what happened with Joseph. Next time I guess. God sure does know how to humble us.

Well, family. I'm not sure what else to write. It's been a really long eventful week. Kiss those babies for me. Y'all sound like you're doing good :)

Take care,

Hermana Montgomery

What Does it Mean to Hasten the Work? - Feb 3, 2014

Family, it may have been 84 degrees Saturday, but then the weather is bipolar and changes faster than you can count to ten. Coats. Short sleeves. Coat. Short sleeves. Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. You never know what to wear in the morning, normally we have to stick our arm out the back door to know before we choose clothes. And mornings, it's been cold. I think mostly because Sister Rodriguez likes the cold, so she would turn the air on and other things at night. But I got tired of waking up not feeling my toes or nose, so I've fixed it. If anyone needs a witness that God knows what he is doing, look at where I got sent. Texas. He knew not to send me on a mission to some place cold and dark. I might have had a mental break down by this point.

Oh, and you wouldn't believe how many people point out that I have only six months left. Anyone who asks how long I've been out actually. It's quite...I won't say anything. It's mean.

This week I've had a lot of things happen, and I was trying to keep mental tabs on them, but then...I was a missionary and had already lost my brain. Good thing I have a planner to help me out. 

I've been going out on a limb in some of our messages with members at dinners lately. It's been a miracle actually. We plan something, and then at the last minute, it's not going to work and I hear the words "can we share a message with you?" come out of my mouth before I even have time to come up with a solid idea of what to share. And every time, I start opening my scriptures or my mouth, and the right thing comes out. It never ceases to amaze me. Wow. God asks us to take some steps of faith, and he always gives us what we need. Or something better. Many times,  the thought has been the same as we'd planned almost, but it come out differently than I would have said it. But it's always perfect for the situation.

We have an investigator, Ramiro, who wants to get baptized, and has tried to come to church for three weeks, but due to rides falling through, flat tires and other things, he hasn't been able too. He also lives about a half and hour away (like everyone in this area), and we haven't been able to meet with him for a few weeks. We were finally able to got a hold of him and set up an appointment. When we got to the house, his mother told us he was not there, and so we got into our car and started looking at our back ups. We were about to drive away, when I saw a man in a blue sweatshirt walking up the street. Ramiro had left his house to go and shoot hoops and to pray in a park near by. He's been struggling with family problems and needed some time to think things through, he didn't think we would be there, but then when he got back, our car was outside. Luckily, we hadn't driven away yet. We had a lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ outside, and invited him to be baptized on the 23rd of February, and he said yes. Two days later, we found out he doesn't actually live in our area and we would have to pass him off. It's the bessssst. No. We're going to be working with the Palo Alto Sister's actually in the YSA branch to pass him off instead of the Family ward, so I'm not to sore on the idea.

Speaking of which, I'm in my old district. And the Palo Alto Sisters got doubled in since one sister had to go home for sugary. It's been interesting to hear about old investigators and people. Interesting to think about how I am back in the same district, at the same time Sisters are doubling in and need some help...I've talked a little bit with them at meetings about things we did when we opened the area, hope it's helpful. 

We also are trying to teach the girlfriend of an inactive member in our Spanish Branch. I invited her to be baptized, and after an awkward pause, my companion turned to her to explain that I had asked a question...yessss...I've very good at Spanish. How embarrassing. It's okay, Conner had to have the question repeated to him, and he got baptized haha.

We've found a new investigator, Michael, while looking for his niece actually who is a member. She doesn't live there anymore, but Michael was interested in our message. We've taught him three times this last week. After sharing about the first vision, he said "why, that'd be the biggest lie ever told. It's got to be true!" and when we invited him to be baptized, he jumped up and said "well sure!" We're going to have to be working with him a lot, he was smoking during our first lesson and it is very deep into his skin. Literally, he's very frail. We're planning on reviewing quite a bit and helping him understand everything fully. 

Last Monday, I decided to read a letter that we'd been given in Ward Council the week before. Elder Scott and Elder Parry had had a video conference with our stake President in November and had responded with a letter of instruction for our stake. Now, three months later, the stake president would like to know what the wards have put into action from the letter. I read it while eating breakfast about a week after we'd gotten it and was blown away by it. Why hadn't I read it sooner? I should have, to incorporate things better. I read it several times, highlighting parts and connecting ideas that President Slaughter has been trying to emphasize already. Then again, Saturday night, I read through it. This bullet point caught my attention. 

"Members and each stake/ward council must understand the principles of hastening the work of salvation and make the effort to have it happen in the stake/ward."

It caught my attention, because I had thought that I understood what "hastening the work of salvation" meant. But what did it mean, "understand the principles of hastening the work of salvation and make the effort to have it happen"? What are the principles of hastening the work? I also was corrected in my thinking. I had thought the phrase was "hastening of the work of salvation." It's not. The word "of" is not in that sentence. The work does not just hasten and we get to jump on board and hitch a ride into the second coming. No. Rather, we have to be pushing and pulling, and grunting and running and shoving forward. We're God's hands this hastening.So, I'm curious, what do y'all think are the principles of Hastening the Work of Salvation? This isn't rhetorical, I really want to hear your thoughts on it.

Here's a head start : http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/members-and-missionaries?lang=eng

So yesterday, I was fasting to understand better what it meant to "understand the principles of hastening the work of salvation and make the effort to have it happen" and you know what? I had a bad day. A really awful day. I think I worked myself into a fit mooding over everything, and wondering around everything. All six hours of church I felt like flopping under a desk and hiding my head under our binder. I just felt sick and stuck. How are we all suppose to catch this vision enough to really hasten the work? 

While out trying to contact less-actives, and again being the person no one wanted to see (especially during the Superbowl), I asked Sister Rodriguez, how do missionaries hasten the work? I've had all this ideas that members can, and what I can do when I go home, but when it comes filling my planner with productive things to do during the day, I feel stumped every day. And so I pondered all over it on our half hour drive home. And I've come to some conclusions. A few weeks ago, I wrote about an experience Elder Bednar Shared, I wrote to y'all

"One of the things he talked about was the question "what would it be like if...?" He talked about how his father was not a member and at one point he asked himself 'what would be like if my father was a Melchizedek Priesthood holder?' After that he started to live a little differently, to act like things were the way he wanted or felt they should be. It was really interesting to see a different perspective, to think about all of the 'what would it be likes' in my life and then think about how i would act if they were that way, because that's how we achieve them."

I thought about that again while driving:What would it be like, or what would I do, if I was a missionary, serving in the last days while the work needed to be hastened? Then I thought of all of the things that I could do better at, or do more of or let go of. The things I would put more effort in, and the people I would talk to better. And ya, know, it's a good thing I don't have to wonder "what would it be like if...?" with this situation, because I actually am a missionary serving right now. 

After thinking about that, more ideas started to come, things I could do but was maybe too nervous or afraid or lazy or whatever reason it was, I didn't do.I thought again of the dream I had my first night in Pleasanton as I told an old companion "Remember, the most important thing for you to do right now is to teach the members how to be missionaries too." Today, I talked to the cashier at the store about her name and school and things, and then gave her a mormon.org card before I left, something that's been difficult for me to do on my mission. As we walked out to our car, I felt like I had helped hasten the work right then. I believe that girl will look at the web site. What would it be like for you, if...? 

We can overcome these fears, and we get to be a part of this time. This time, in Elder Parry's words ranks with the great events in the history of the church. I started another Book of Mormon study, "Hastening the Work of Salvation" this one is going to be my favorite. I'm highlighting how members, missionaries, leaders, non-members and God hasten the work together. Good things are happening, and I'm so excited to be a part of this. Are you?

I love y'all, and have been praying for you. I don't think you live boring lives, because I eat up everything you have to say, whether about six-packs, tile floors, teaching sunbeams, graduate programs, finding jobs, good 'ol Penn., I love it. Y'all are my favorite people and I love hearing from you :)

Much love,

Your still learning, Texan Sunbeam

Maps, Lists, Spanish, Trainings, Inspiration, repentance, growth ...what can I say, this is a Mission - Jan 27, 2014

Dear Family, I have news. I recked our tuck...

 

Just kidding, not even close. Nothing at all happened, I just thought I'd give y'all a heart attack haha

 

This week has been incredible, maybe a highlight of my mission. We had zone conference this week, and we were putting a lot of things that we learned with Elder Bednar into practice, so a lot of role plays and a lot of discussions. We broke up into groups of about 1 to 12 missionaries and talked over things and role played how to approach different things differently. One of which was contention. The APs and Traveling Sisters (six missionaries in total) were rotating through our groups doing things with us, and President Slaughter was as well.

 

So, President Slaughter came in to role play some things with us and give us feedback. The point of role playing contentious situations was because President Slaughter wanted us  to learn to be in control of the situation and to not start bashing with someone, but to help them resolve concerns in a professional way. So President Slaughter was the contentious person first, yelling a bit and telling us we weren't Christian, and then he switched and he was the missionary, and we were the contact.  He might have challenged us to be really hard and mean and try to make him lose control of the situation, then he picked me to role play with him. As we were talking he was very composed, but at one point he paused, speechless for what to say, then he grinned and told us to back up so he could try it differently haha got ya! We all had a good laugh. So I was a stubborn enough contact to make the Mission President pause, haha he did good, he just asked for min. Afterwards we talked more about things as a Zone and President Slaughter gave us a training on Repentence. WOW. Blown away, man, blown away. We talked about a lot of things. I feel like I drool a little bit everytime we get into discussions with President Slaughter, my mind just get's blown away every time.  

 

So since Hermana Rodriguez and I have been reorganizing everything, we started to put things into action this week and started contacting people no one knew on our ward list. ALLLLLL DAAYYYYY FORRRR EVERRRRRR. And no one wanted us around. Too busy, to late, not a good time, not interested, taking meds, working out, moved, on and on and on...missionaries were not good news in P-town that day.

 

So we ate dinner with a member and then we had a few minutes before we met with our Ward Mission Leader to coordinate things. While sitting in our truck, I asked Sister Rodriguez what things she had done in passed areas or in El Salvador. She then told me about a plan that her dad started to try in El Salvador. With a little bit of tweaking and adjusting to our area, we presented it to our Ward mission leader about 10 minutes later. He sat forward and listened very closely. Family, this plan is beautiful. I mean, really. So our Ward Mission Leader asked us to draft a written copy and we could meet again on Saturday to go over it again. So, I 've attached a copy :) It's too good not to share!

 

The last couple of weeks we have very slowly been working on putting all of the members in our ward into categories such as: no information, Part-Member, Less active, active, etc...we had done something similar in Del Rio with the Relief Society President and it was really helpful. TThere we already had a lot of information and we jsut had to condense and complie it. But here we were starting out BLANK, and we had about 8 or more cities we covered and about 3-4x as many people in the no information or less active sections than in the active section. Sister Rodriguez didn't quite get what I wanted to do with it, heck, I didn't know for sure... but for some reason, it was important that we do it and get it done.

 

 So while I was drafting the plan, Sister Rodriguez got it finished, and on Sunday we took the draft, the lists and our new map to help make more sense to our ward council. we asked for 10 mins to presented and get feedback for if they wanted it or wanted to toss it. I think everyone was mostly relieved someone had some start to get things moving. And they all wanted copies of the lists, as well as copies of the maps. So tomarrow we'll be making copies of our map at Office Depot for them. The ward clerk handed me his notebook to write down an address for someone, and on the bottom I saw "wonderful mission plan presentation by Sister Montgomery" written down. And our Ward Mission Leader wants to meet Sister Rodriguez's dad to thank him :)  Afterwards, our Relief Society President-side note, the relief society president's mother was the women the Sister Missionaries lived with before we moved, so I met her only briefly before we moved, but she passed away Friday night, so our relief society president was a little stressed and scattered to say the least-but she came up to us after and told us that we were literaly an answer to prayers since they had been trying to put together visiting teaching routes and were a mess and needed a good map of the ward, she'll be getting a copy of the map.

 

 It was really interesting. In our Spanish Branch afterwards, I was thinking about things and realizing how prepared I had been for this area. Because I served in San Marcos, I learned how to help make a Ward mission plan and actually teach. Because I served in Palo Alto, I knew where/what to look for in making a good map, and also how to work with the members a more and learned doctrine of the things that I was teaching. Because I served in Hill country, I knew how to organize the white board and work with a family ward. Because I served in Del Rio, I learned how to organize information better for the ward and future missionaires and how to help people be familiar with the Hastening of the Work web site and information. I also could speak Spanish because I served in Del Rio. Things have just been built upon, each other and it was a bit intense to sit there and realize how God had been giving me some hard experiences so that I would be able to learn something to pass on to someone else. It was honestly humbling to realize that I sometimes complained when God was getting me ready to help somewhere. My mission has honestly changed everything.

 

We had a lesson Friday night with a part-member family, and when we got there the wife quickley sat us down to feed us some warm soup since it was cold outside. BUT, we had already eaten dinner. And well, you can't say no. Really, it'll offend them. SO we ate the Soup. And then the dinner. I was going to explode and Sister Rodriguez and I tried to hide our laughs as we gave each other a couple of horried looks. Ice cream was on the way when Hermana Rodriguez said that she was okay, but then looking at me and knowing I was in pain she said grinning "pero, tal vez la hermana lo quiere...?" I quickly explained I was good and gave Sister Rodriguez a dirty look while throwing away my garbage. She's funny. Daniel, the husband, had been taught before and usually missionaries stopped teaching him because he wasn't reading or keeping commitments. I had taught him once before and we had given him Nephi 31 to read and study about Baptism, but, he hadn't read it. In zone meeting, we had been parralled to angles bringing a message to people, and one of the APs asked us, "who is your audience, and what is your message?" He then went on to expound by saying that the Angles appearence to Nephi's while his brothers were beating him was probably a bit different than the angles visit to Mary to annouce the birth of Christ. True. So they asked us to consider more often, "who is your audience, and what is your message?" so while we were driving out to the house, this had come back to my mind and I thought of it again while getting out of the car. I also remembered a lesson I'd taught in the MTC to one of my teachers telling him he had to read his scriptures otherwise how on earth was he ever going to know if it was true. I was a little bold in that lesson and my teacher always refered back to it telling everyone to be more bold like la hermana Montgomery.

 

Both of these expirences came to mind while driving and getting out of the car. And then in the lesson...I'm not even sure what I said. We read the introduction again, especially the part when Jospeh Smith states that it is the most correct book etc...he responded by saying that Jospeh Smith was only a man, and that that was only a man's opinion. We kept reading a little bit and I explained that if we never read or prayed about these things, then yes, to us Joseph Smith would only be a man. BUT, that was not true, he was a prophet called of God and it was not just his opinion when he said "that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth...and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Daniel was definitely a lot more vocal this lesson and asked more questions than before Sister Rodriguez told me. He was more interested and said that he had to understand more about Jospeh Smith before he would make a decision. Did I mention this whole thing was in Spanish? I led out in the lesson in Spanish, that's a milestone. And the thing is, I KNOW I couldn't have done that alone. WHOOOOOOO!

 

We got to go to the Temple last Saturday with our Spanish Branch since Sister Rodriguez had only been to the Temple once on her mission. I ALMOST did the session in Spanish. Not quite there yet haha maybe next time :)

 

Well, family, that's about all I think. Take care

 

Les Quiero!

 

La Hermana de Pleasanton

Isn't the Gospel Great?! - Jan 20, 2014

Hellooo Family!

Week one in Pleasanton-check!

Sister Rodriguez has been here for three months and has been dying to get a new map for the area. The one we have is old and hard to read and SUPER disproportionate. So we made some phone calls to other missionaries and asked one Sister who was Sister Rodriguez's first companion here in Pleasanton about places we might be able to find one. Nada. The one Sister told us they never could find anything better for South of San Antonio, and she served here for 7.5 months. Well...shoot. So Sister Rodriguez suggested the HEB (if you don't know what that is, you're not a Texan) in Pleasanton. After some quick prayers we ran in before we headed home and were checking it out. TA-DA! We found a "South of San Antonio" spiral bound map book that had everything that we would need. So the next day we made copies and cut and taped and straightened and made a grand map. I had the idea because that was what Sister Young and I did in Palo Alto, and it was the best map I'd ever had. After we got it all taped together we took it to the Office Depot by our apartment and got a 3ftX4ft copy of it. Then we went home divided it and colored it into sections so that we can save miles. Family, it is beautiful and going to help a lot. Sister Rodriguez LOVES it :) So months of looking and lots of missionaries later, we found, taped and colored a map in 2 days. In Danika's words: Huzzzah!

Tuesday, we had Zone Meeting. I thought a lot about things we needed to do for this area while listening to the trainings. Remember last week when I said going into the Conference I had the attitude "if I don't touch anything, nothing will get broken"? I was of the Opinion that I would just sit and let the work come to me, I would let the natural elements of the area work their magic. ERRRRR! Wrong. We were meant to work things through, to act and not wait as Elder Bednar said in his talk in October 2013 The windows of Heaven "the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to act and change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else." (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-windows-of-heaven?lang=eng)

And so in Zone meeting while pondering on things again, this was the answer I got (this is for you dad): by the time that I leave Pleasanton, my fingerprints need to be all over this area. I have to work, hard. And the more I work in this area, the more that I realize it was not the perfect area that I thought it was. There's a lot of things that need to be pulled together and utilized. There is a lot of potential and work to be done.

However, while we were weekly planning a few days later, and I realized that I shouldn't and wouldn't be leaving my fingerprints all over, this area would need the Master's touch. Not mine. It's like Elder Bednar said in his talk that I read " you and I are much like the long, thin strands of glass used to create the fiber-optic cables through which light signals are transmitted over very long distances. Just as the glass in these cables must be pure to conduct the light efficiently and effectively, so we should become and remain worthy conduits through whom the Spirit of the Lord can operate."

 

For a long time my favorite Scripture has been 1 Nephi 21:16 "Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me" because it made me think about the nails prints in the Saviour's hands, and how He literally could not forget us because we were graven on the palms of His hands. I don't know if I ever wrote to y'all about this, but in the MTC I was really struggling about my third week in. Companion struggles, Spanish, homesickness and girl issues resulted in a snotty nose and red eyed break down during personal study, in my class room with my whole district. It was pleasant. Not really, it was humiliating and overwhelming, and also a very defining point that changed my life. I was reading through the talk by Linda Reeves The Lord has not Forgotten You, and wondering why on earth I was doing this. Did the Savior really know who I was and how I felt right then? I felt so alone, and wondered how I could have charity.  As I was reading the talk these words came to my mind "Even as my hands bear the mark, you must come to love others as I have loved you." I had never heard this before, I had never read this before. I don't know why I'm sharing this right now, I guess I've just been thinking about hands lately. Christ loved us enough to take on the Atonement, all of our sufferings: Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically. He loved us enough to allow His hands to be pierced, for us. And that is the kind of love that He asks us to have for each other. To really learn to have Charity. Love for God, love for others, love for ourselves. But as President Slaughter, and Sharlan, told me once, more specifically, Charity is God's love for us. 

 

Man, I just have so many thoughts running around in my head, so many things I've learned. Que Mas?

 

Oh yeah, fingerprints all over. We've started to dissect our ward rosters, probably about 2/3 of our members are not active, and probably half of those are part member families. Oh yeah, and our area is huge. Sister Rodriguez has struggled with this area the three months she has been here because she hasn't been able to get a grip on it. There's just a lot of it. And it's not very organized or sorted out into understandable information. So who get's sent here? Me. Figures. Mostly missionaries have just gone out and knocked and contacted. But we're moving away from the culture of that as a whole. Most of those people that I saw Pleasanton baptize before are now inactive, or missing. Sister Rodriguez and I have high goals and high hopes for this area :)

 

Hahaha I've also been helping Sister Rodriguez kick the use of the word "Freaking." She's learning English, bless her heart and I explained one night what it was a euphemism for and she was a little mortified that she had been using it. We all learn knew things haha :)

 

We've also attacked our area book. We've actually ordered new ones because there are parts missing from them. And, there are probably well over 1000 people to find and recontact in there. It's massive, and a headache to sift through. We had so spend some time just figuring out where some of these people lived because towns hadn't been written down, and that makes it difficult because we cover about 10 small towns. When all is said and done, it will be a beautiful thing. It was really interesting to go through the teaching records and read about people, and then to feel the Spirit to know whether or not we needed to put them at the top of our list to visit. Really interesting.

 

We also met with our Ward Mission Leader on Wednesday to talk about things. Turns out he is the dad of some of the YSA members I worked with in Palo Alto, small world. He was all excited to go home and tell his kids that he had their missionary in their family ward. He gleaned a lot from Elder Bednar's visit, and has a new perspective on how things should go. We also got to go to Branch council on Sunday (PS, I have six hours of church. I have had four hours before, but six? Wheeee), it was fabulous! The stake is going to implement more aspects from Hastening the Work because they received a letter from Elder Scott and Elder Perry. That'll get ya going. We're meeting again next Sunday with ideas for a Ward Mission Plan! THIS IS SO EXCITING! They mentioned a lot of things that they would need that Sister Rodriguez and I had actually already been working on. For Danika one more time: HUZZZAH! Inspiration.

 

Well Family, I hope that's all. I've been learning a lot this week and am excited to keep soaking it up :)

 

Love,

La Hermana Montgomery

Driving a Truck and Some Member Presents with a Cow... - Jan 13, 2014

Hello fam, how are y'all?

 

Can I say something? My younger siblings sound like me. Bossy and in charge. Anyone remember me saying "you don't know me, you don't know my life!" (Thanks Abby...). Brandon's version "don't tell me what to do!" haha

 

So I bet y'all are dying to know where I am. Let me show you...look.

 

https://www.lds.org/maps/?lang=eng#ll=29.068711,-98.376984&z=10&m=google.road&q=San Antonio, Texas stake&x=find&find=stake:502782

 

I'm back in the San Antonio Stake and the South Zone of the mission, this time covering the Pleasanton English ward and Spanish Branch. Whew. Can you see how big this area is? The top part we don't cover, I covered that when I served in Palo Alto/Lackland. So at one point or another I have covered ALL of the San Antonio Stake. Yesss. It's a little daunting...but, I get to drive a TRUCK. Look out world. Hermana Rodriguez told me that we could have some member presents with a few cows haha

 

My Companion is Hermana Rodriguez-Siliezar and she is from El Salvador, and she speaks Spanish fluently, and is learning English here. She is a fiery person only about 5'2 tall who's favorite things to say in English are "that's good!" and "that's amazing!" She's a doll and I've been learning a lot from her already. She came out in June and this is only her second area. We laugh a lot together, that or cry ourselves bone dry. That's what she told me, "I have to laugh". She's been here in Pleasanton for two transfers already.

 

So Border run was on Wednesday, when I drove back up from the Border, transfers were on Thursday, Friday we moved. Not only is our area huge, but we don't live in it. We live about 30-45 mins outside our area in San Antonio. Cool. So our address is

 

3903 Southeast Military Dr. #3205

San Antonio, TX 78223

 

For now anyways, there is a chance they might move us again since we're so far away from our area. I'll keep you posted.

 

Also on Friday, we had ELDER BEDNAR! And also, since I was transfered I was in the Stake that he was there visiting. So not only did I get to go to a missionary meeting with him, but also two sessions of stake conference. Wahooo!

 

It. Was. Life. Changing.  

 

So good. We basically had a question and answer, and he talked a lot about changes that need to take place in us. SIster Bednar also got to speak, and it was neat to see them both. Yesterday I wrote down a list of points that I didn't want to forget ever. One of the things he talked about was the question "what would it be like if...?" He talked about how his father was not a member and at one point he asked himself "what would be like if my father was a Melchizedek Priesthood holder?" after that he started to live a little differently, to act like things were the way he wanted or felt they should be. It was really interesting to see a different perspective, to think about all of the "what would it be likes" in my life and then think about how i would act if they were that way, because that's how we achieve them.

 

Not gonna lie, coming into Pleasanton I was freaking out. The Pleasanton Sisters were in my district when I served in Palo Alto, and  they were ALWAYS baptizing and teaching. I have a felt a little bit like everywhere I go in Texas, I'm just preparing everything, and don't really get to see the fruits of my work. I stay two transfers and then move and it's been kind'a difficult. Hermana Pond got an earful about it after Transfer calls last week. I asked her "so, are some missionaries called to baptize, and others only to make white boards and mission plans and organize everything for them?" She assured me I wasn't. But coming into Pleasanton, I was scared to death that I was in the spotlight to see if all  their numbers would drop because of me. Scared to death. I think I was determinded not to touch anything, don't change anything, just do everything the same as the last hundred missionaries and maybe I won't break anything. I think I have a bit of a pattern of trying to do different things to build the ward, to actually use members, but it takes time.

 

Thursday night, I had a dream actually. I was talking to my MTC companion, Hermana Hopkins, who I actually replaced here in Pleasanton, and in my dream as we were talking, the only thing I remember was telling her "now remember, the most important thing is to teach the members, to teach them how to do missionary work." and then I woke up. As I was falling alseep before, I was thinking about our area and praying to know what I needed to do here. Still pondering on it. As we went to Elder Bednar's conference for missionaries that day though, the theme seemed to be agents. Be an agent. Get up and act, and don't wait for something else to act upon you. It was a bit of a slap in the face since my whole attitude coming into Pleasanton was "don't touch anything." I'll let you know how things go. I'm still sifting through thoughts and studies.

 

Since we had stake conference this weekend, and I'm in my old stake, I got to see a lot of the YSA adults in Palo Alto :) there were a lot of suprise hugs and a few shreeks. The highlight though was the Saturday night Session. Conner Mitchall, who I taught back in August and who was baptized two weeks after I was transfered to Austin, was asked to bare his testimony since he was a convert. WOW! Four months later, he was different :) as we got to talk for a few mins he told me that he got his answer on Sunday, and he's going to be starting Mission papers towards the end of the year!! Pure Joy, family. Pure Joy. It was so good to see how he's doing and to know that he's going strong :) Hermana Rodriguez reminded me that I would be able to go to the Temple when he went through as well, and i couldn't stop grinning. Being a missionary is good :)

 

We've had a lot of miracles this week, and it'll all be okay. I love y'all and think of you often, take care

 

Love,

Hermana Cheyenne Montgomery

Coming up on Five

Hi family.  Well, I have lots of things to write about this week, I even had to make a list of all of the things I wanted to write about.

First:I am in mourning wearing black and grey. Transfer calls came last night, and I am being transferred from Del Rio. When they told me I literally couldn't say a word, Hermana Pond had to take the phone from me and finish the conversaion. Never knew what it meant to be speechless until last night. The phone hadn't even clicked the call before the tears came. Shoot, now I'm crying again. I've been having quite a few long conversations with God since then. I'll be Senior Companion again and going to an "interesting area" in their words. I've never stayed anywhere longer than two transfers, why start now? So don't send any letters or anything to my Del Rio address this week. This will be my fifth area. And at this rate I'll have another 2-3 before August. Never enough to time get to know people. Bring it on, I guess?

We've had a lot of miracles this week, the first one came last Monday as we were handed our reading packets to prepare for Elder Bednar coming this week. President Slaughter wrote a note to all of the missionaries in the front of the packet. One of the things that he said was "Elder Bednar is not simply a great orator; he is not merely a Mormon celebrity. He is one of the Lord's anointed, a special witness of Christ. His message will be life changing to those who have ears to hear." The three talks that we have been given are to study are:

Seek Learning By Faith (http://www.lds.org/tools/print/article/narrow/?lang=eng&url=/callings/sunday-school/messages-from-leaders/words-of-the-prophets/seek-learning-by-faith)
Ask in Faith (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/ask-in-faith?lang=eng)
Converted unto the Lord (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/converted-unto-the-lord?lang=eng)

As Hermana Pond and I have been studying them together and separately this week, I think our lives have already been changed. Every morning after personal study it's like gasping coming up for air after our brains have exploded. If that made any sense. It's incredible how much information, principle and doctrine he covers in those talks. I'm excited for him to come :)

On Tuesday while contacting a less active, we found out that they didn't live there anymore. The man we were talking to very suddenly said he had to go and shut the door on us. A little baffled at how suddenly he had shut the door we started walking down the sidewalk back to our car. Two young boys on bikes passed us and one skidded turning back to us and said "Hey! Do you preach??" We told him yes, and he said "Like, the word of God?" We started talking to him and found out that missionaries had taught both of their families in the past and they still had Book of Mormons that they sometimes read. We figured out where they lived and gave them pass along cards with our number to look at with their parents. We stopped by on Friday and had a first lesson with one of the families and have a return appointment set up for Tuesday :) Miracle.

I forgot to mention a couple of weeks ago that we've been trying teach the actual Preach My Gospel Lessons at the end of our piano classes. We use primary songs and hymns to talk about a topic and use the notes and and rythems in the hymn to practice what we're learning with the music. So our first lesson we used I am I Child of God for God is our loving Heavenly Father, the second one we used follow the Prophet and Come Follow Me for The Gospel in Every Dispensation and Christ's Earthly Ministryall from the Restoration lesson. While talking about God being our Heavenly Father, I asked some of the members (We've had two members and one non-member coming consistently) if they had ever thought about that before. Really stopped to think about how they are a literal Child of God. One of the Girls is 24-years-old and in the Spanish Branch, and she is a Sunday School teacher. The Sunday after she talked about  the Piano class and how she felt as she stopped to think about what that meant for her. It was kind of neat to see how the little things that we say can touch others hearts, member or non-member.

This week, I've been setting some goals for the new year, things I'd like to be better at ya know the new years routine. But, after setting those goals for the new year, I decided to study some about goals and purpose and things. Topical Guide and Bible Dictionary. I'm telling ya, there's golden things in there. So some of the scriptures I read mostly talked about the word "Perfect". A while back, I debated with a companion because she said that  Mattew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." meant that God was literally commanding us to be perfect and to not make any mistakes. That didn't sit with me. Looking at the footnote for the words perfect says "GR complete, finished, fully developed.  TG God, the Standard of Righteousness; Godliness; Man, New, Spiritually Reborn; Man, Potential to Become like Heavenly Father; Mission of Early Saints;Objectives; Perfection." My favorite being complete and fully developed. I've been thinking about how this year I would like to develop who I am more fully, I thought that even before I read those scriptures. To Understand things better and have my personality, conversion, progression synced up a little tighter. Some my Scripture and theme for the the year is "Come unto Christ and be perfected in him" (Moroni 10:32) I'm excited to see what the new year hold for me. What are your goals?

Speaking of Goals, We've been meeting with families helping them plan and prepare  their own family mission plans and goals. The response has been incredible. It's going to change the scene here in Del Rio!

This week we had exchanges again and I headed back down to Eagle Pass to be with Hermana Beaumont. They had in their apartment some sombreos, entonces, I asked if we could wear them during companionship study :) then, as we wear eating lunch, Hermana Beaumont said that we probably should take the hats with us though out the day and take pictures in them. I suggested that we make fake mustaches as well. And so we had a mustache adventure day were we would pause or pull over and take a quick picture with something. Yes, we are 20 and 23-years-old. We also had our dinner appointment fall through, so Hermana Beaumont took me down the the Border. Wahhhh! So we had a picnic dinner on the border of Mexico, only the Rio Grand seperating us. Cool huh? We could even hear the sounds of Mexico across the water. Someday :)

Well family, that's about all. I hope y'all are doing well and livin' it up :)

Love,

Hermana Montgomery